The Dragonstone
by elphieheart
Summary: Re-write of the cdrama The Holy Pearl, which is based on Inuyasha. Katherine "Kit" Cricket is an archaeology major who accidentally gets sent to another realm, where she and the half-dragon Leuwin must team up to restore the Dragonstone and defeat the king of demons. InuKag, SessRin, Medieval AU. Based on both The Holy Pearl and Inuyasha.
1. Chapter 1: Into the Stone Circle

**Authors Note: Hi everyone! This is an unusual ****story, because it is a mix between Inuyasha and its live-action Chinese adaptation, The Holy Pearl. It takes place in Medieval Europe, because if I'm going to butcher someone's history, it might as well be my own. This is based more closely around the Holy Pearl series, but will have a much happier ending, plus I've managed to include SIT BOY! I will preface each chapter with introductions of parallel characters and their counterparts in both series, to help with any confusion.**

_New Characters:  
_

_Katherine "Kit" Cricket - Kagome/Yao Yao_

**As a side note, I don't own either Inuyasha or The Holy Pearl, but I would definitely recommend watching both series. Inuyasha is funnier, but the Holy Pearl has epic drama, additional characters, and canon SessRin (though it will make you want to rip your heart out)!**

**Chapter 1: Into the Stone Circle**

Katherine Cricket, known to her friends as Kit, fought back a yawn as she listened to her professor lecture about Celtic mythology. Normally, the subject would have fascinated her, but this professor managed to make even selkies and werewolves sound dull and boring. It also didn't help that her father had kept her talking on the phone for hours the previous night, rambling about the amazing discoveries he and his team were finding at the dig site. Her father, a Celtic archaeologist, had been investigating a stone circle that had been discovered almost entirely buried deep in the woods near her house. After months of work, the team had most of the site uncovered. Kit smiled to herself as she remembered how ecstatic her father had sounded. Ever since she was little, Kit's dad had been searching for the next big discovery, and now, he felt that he was finally getting close.

Kit snapped back to reality as she heard her professor say something about stone circles. She eagerly picked up her pen to take notes, but everything the professor said on the subject was what she already knew. No one knows who built them, no one knows how they were built, no one knows why, yada yada yada. Kit put her pen down and sighed, reaching to fiddle with the crystal necklace her father had given her for her tenth birthday. It was a family heirloom, and was supposed to bring the wearer good fortune. _If only it could get me out of this class, _Kit thought sarcastically, closing her eyes.

_A woman in a white dress stood in a garden of flowers next to a crystal blue lake. She nervously fiddled with a small crystal necklace. She was waiting for someone. A smile lit up her face when she heard the rustle of quiet footsteps behind her._

"_You came." She looked so relieved as she turned to greet her visitor, a mysterious young man with black horns protruding from a head of silver-white hair. "I was so worried." _

_The woman in white smiled, reaching out to him. The strange man reached back to her, as if to take her outstretched hand. But at the last moment, his expression turned from one of adoration to one of absolute hatred. Before the woman could react, a ball of energy appeared in his hand and he flung it at her chest, where it seemed to enter her heart. The woman opened her mouth in a silent scream as she was flung backwards, the crystal slipping from between her fingers. The man smirked, picking up the crystal rolling across the grass before darting away._

"_Why?" the injured woman cried out, clutching her heart and struggling to rise. "Why would you do this to me? I loved you!"_

Kit woke with a gasp, blushing as she realized that the students nearest her had heard her gasp and were turning to stare. She had fallen asleep in the middle of class. Again. Lowering her head to hide her red cheeks, Kit began to focus on taking notes, despite the fact that her professor was once again spouting information she already knew. But she soon lost interest and began trying to remember her strange dream. This was not the first time she had dreamed of the woman in white, but it was the first time she had seen the man who attacked her. Kit remembered that he was handsome, but the details of his appearance had already faded from her memory.

_ Oh well, _Kit sighed in relief as the professor dismissed them from class. _It doesn't matter anyway. It was just a weird recurring dream. _She gathered her books and left the lecture hall. As soon as she was outside, she checked her phone for messages. She hadn't received any texts, but the screen displayed several missed calls from her father. Kit sighed.

"What's wrong?" Kit's best friend, Cara, suddenly appeared behind her, "I saw you fell asleep in class again. Did you have another one of those freaky dreams?"

"Yeah but that's not the problem." Kit showed her the list of missed calls. "My dad wants me to get a degree in archaeology, but doesn't seem to realize that I actually have go to class to do so. I can't just leave and come to the dig site every time he finds a strange patch of dirt."

Cara looked at the phone closer at saw just how many times he had called. "I don't know, Kit. Three missed calls I can understand, but twelve? Maybe something's wrong. You should call him back."

"Wait, twelve?" Kit snatched the phone back and saw the parenthesized number next to the missed call alert.

"Anyway, I gotta go," Cara said apologetically. "I'm gonna be late for math class. Text me and let me know if anything's wrong."

Kit nodded and waved, not really paying attention as her friend left. She had already hit the call back button and was waiting impatiently for her dad to answer. The phone rang several times. "C'mon, dad. Pick up the phone."

Finally, he answered.

"Katherine! Oh thank God, I was so worried." Her dad's frantic voice came over the phone.

"What? Why?"

"Look, it's hard to explain. Can you come to the dig site?"

"Um…" Kit checked her watch. She would have to miss her next class, but her father was so worried... "Sure. I'll be there in a bit." Hanging up, she dug out her keys and rushed to her car. _I wonder what could have upset him so much? _

Half an hour later, Kit arrived at the edge of the woods. She parked her car, changed into her muddy hiking boots, and grabbed her excavation bag, knowing that her father would probably want her to stay and help until she had to leave for class. She then followed the path that would lead her to the dig site. She hadn't even gotten half way there when she heard a shout and saw a man running up the path toward her.

"Katherine!"

Kit's father didn't even slow down before he grabbed her in a tight hug.

"Um, dad?" Kit's voice was muffled by her father's chest. "You okay?"

The man released her from his embrace and held her at arms length, as if to check and make sure she was all right.

"Dad," she furrowed her brows. "I have been in class for the past five hours. Other than being extremely bored, I'm fine. Why on earth wouldn't I be?"

"I'm sorry, dear. I just found something at the site that made me a little worried."

"About me? What is it?" Her father took her hand.

"Come. I'll show you."

When the two of them arrived at the dig site next to the stone circle, the first thing Kit noticed was the excitement of the interns. Normally, the interns weren't actually interested in the work they were doing; they just wanted the money and the college credit. But for some reason, they were gossiping excitedly to one another. However, they stopped as soon as they saw her.

_Is there something on my face? Did I get twigs in my hair? _Kit wished she had brought a mirror with her, but before she could ask what everyone was staring at, her dad dragged her into the tent where they labeled and stored all the artifacts.

"Kit, this is Irene," her dad said, introducing her to the woman inside the tent. "She's with the art department at your university. I called her this morning after finding a faded portrait in a box buried near the last monolith. And, well…" he trailed off, as if afraid to continue.

Kit was getting concerned. Normally her father wouldn't shut up about the dig site, even if all he found was a shard of pottery. _Now, he's actually found something important, and he can't even tell me? _

"Okay, what's going on?" she demanded to know.

"I managed to restore the painting using a computer program I've been developing," Irene explained. "And I think you should take a look." She brought Kit to the laptop. Kit waited impatiently as the file loaded. _It's probably some King or Queen from a long time ago. But why is dad so worried? _ Kit tried to figure out what it could possibly be, but none of her ideas could have prepared her for what appeared on the screen.

"But… that's _me_."

An hour later, Kit was walking by herself around the stone circle. Her father and his new "friend" were still trying to figure out how a picture of Kit managed to end up in a wooden box that had been buried underground for hundreds of years. Kit had gotten bored of the arguing, and a bit embarrassed by how her dad looked at Irene, and had decided to take a walk. Now she was annoyed. The portrait was probably of someone in her family who lived a long time ago; there was no reason for her father to have gotten so worried as to make her skip class. _Especially since I have an essay due next week! _Kit stomped her foot angrily. To her surprise, when her foot hit the ground, it kept going.

"Wha—" she cried out as the earth under her feet gave way and she fell into a cave, screaming. "Oof!" She hit the ground, hard. Rubbing her sore bottom, she tried to figure out what happened. _I was sure I was far enough away from the dig site to avoid damaging anything, otherwise I wouldn't have stomped. _

"Kit!" She looked up to see Irene leaning over the hole her stomp had made. "I heard you call out. Are you okay?" Irene asked, worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine! I just fell into this stupid hole."

"I'm going to get your father, stay right there!" she yelled before running off.

"Where else am I gonna go?" Kit mumbled under her breath. _Well, might as well look around while I'm down here. _She stood up, and tried to see what type of place she had fallen into. Unfortunately, the light from the hole she had made was not enough to see much of anything. Sighing, she was about to sit down and wait for her dad to come save her when she noticed the room suddenly getting brighter. _What's going on? _Kit noticed the light seemed to be coming from… her necklace? Kit pulled out her crystal necklace and saw that the stone was glowing brightly. No sooner had she noticed this than the air began to swirl around her inside the cave.

"Kit!" She heard her father call from above. The wind began swirling around her so fast she couldn't see him through the dust.

"Dad! Something's wrong!"

"Just hang on! We're coming to get you!"

Before he could lower the rope to get her out, the crystal shone brighter than ever before, and Kit's father could only watch as his daughter screamed and disappeared in a blinding flash of light.

"Kit! Kit!" He cried. "KATHERINE!"

She was gone.

**A/N: Please review to let me know if this is something Inuyasha fans are interested in reading. **

**Next time: The Kingdom of Albion**


	2. Chapter 2: The Kingdom of Albion

**A/N: I still do not own Inuyasha or The Holy Pearl. I'm just a fangirl who was dissatisfied with The Holy Pearl's sad ending and, finding no ****fanfiction to fix it, decided to write one herself.**

_**New Characters:**  
Dragonstone - Inuyasha/Holy Pearl_

_Muriel - N.A./Teng Qing_  
_Niamh (pronounced "neev") - Kaede/Mo Yin_  
_Prince Rhydian ("rid-ee-en") - Bankotsu/Wei Liao  
__Ailbhe ("alva") - Kikyo/Xian Yue  
__King Roald - N.A./Rong Di_

**Chapter 2: The Kingdom of Albion**

When Kit came to, she was lying on a cold dirt floor. _Ugh, what happened? _she wondered. _Oh yeah, I fell down that stupid hole. But what was with that weird wind all of a sudden? _Kit sat up and looked around her, blinking in surprise. She thought she had fallen into a dark cave of some sort, but instead she found herself in what appeared to be an underground shrine. The entire room was lit up with candles, and there was a large tapestry on the wall in front of her. She stood, dusting off her jeans, and walked towards the painting, forgetting for a moment that she needed to find her father.

_How beautiful! _The tapestry depicted an epic battle. On one side, a woman riding a unicorn fired arrows into a sea of monsters. Next to her, a black dragon shot flames into the oncoming hoard. The attacking creatures were horrifying to look at. Scales, claws, and fangs were common features, but the variety of evil beings was astounding. Kit was in awe. The detail of the embroidery was unlike anything she had ever seen; the creatures were almost alive. _Dad, you're going to love this!_

Kit, suddenly remembering where she was, looked at the ceiling in search of the hole she had fallen through. But the roof over her head was smooth and untouched. _Then where did I fall in? It has to be around here somewhere! _

She pulled out her cell phone to call her dad, but her phone showed that there was no service. _Of course not. I am underground, after all. I've got to find a way out. Then I can call for help. _Kit looked around and saw that there were two doorways out of the room: one to her right, and one behind her. Picking the archway to her right, she left the room with the tapestry and began searching for the exit.

The next room was strange: someone appeared to have lived there, though now everything was covered in dust. A small cot was neatly made against the wall, and there was a small dressing table across from it, also coated in a layer of dust and spider webs. Kit examined the dressing table and found several objects resting on top, including an ivory comb that was probably an antique. _Dad would know for sure. I have to find him. _She moved on to the next room and had just started to look around when she let out a terrified scream, darting behind the nearest statue.

There, sitting on a platform in the middle of the room, was a man. Not easily startled, Kit wouldn't have cried out except for the long black horns spiraling out from under his silver-white hair. She peeked out from behind the statue. The man had not moved. He sat with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. He didn't seem to have heard her scream, or noticed her presence at all for that matter.

_Is he dead? _Kit wondered. _No, he's definitely breathing. But why didn't he react when I screamed? And what's with those strange clothes? _The man was wearing a leather jerkin over a linen shirt that was stained at the cuffs with dirt. His boots were worn-in and were covered in mud and grime. He looked like he had just gotten back from the medieval fair.

_This must be a prank, _Kit decided, stepping out from behind the statue. _He's probably one of those living statue entertainers that people hire to scare their friends. I saw one at the park once. But who could have hired him? And why the horns? _

"Hey, you," Kit addressed the young man. He didn't seem to hear her, so she bravely stepped closer. "Look, I know you're not a statue. I can see you breathing. Who hired you? Was it Cara?" The man still didn't respond. "Hello? You can drop the act now." Silence.

"Fine, you don't have to tell me who hired you. Just tell me how to get out of here." Still no response. Kit noticed that the room he was in was a dead end. She could have just left him sitting there and gone to try the other door in the first room, but now she was annoyed. She was tired and sore from her fall, and she was sick of this guy ignoring her.

"HEY!" She yelled, reaching out to poke him in the shoulder. But before she reached him, she noticed that what she had thought were mud stains were actually splatters of blood. She jerked back with a yelp. "Okay, this isn't funny anymore. I'm getting out of here!"

Kit angrily ran back to the room with the tapestry. Not bothering to stop again, she continued through the other doorway. She found herself at the bottom of a flight of stairs that let to a hatch in the ceiling. Without a second glance, she ran up the stairs and flung open the wooden doors. Blinking at the sudden sunlight, she crawled out of the underground shrine.

_What? _Kit found herself in the middle of a stone circle. The monoliths were arranged just like the ones her dad had been excavating. Except this stone circle was completely uncovered and surrounded by a grassy clearing. _What's going on? Where am I? Have I gone back in time? _Kit had meant that last question as a joke, but the more she thought about her situation, the more she realized that it was the mostly likely option at the moment. _Please let there be another explanation, _she prayed as she began to walk away.

"HALT!" Kit turned to see a small group of soldiers in chainmail flooding into the clearing. She stepped back in surprise.

"Who are you?" The leader barked at her. "How dare you trespass on sacred grounds?" _Oh great. LARPers. _"ARREST HER!"

"Wait, what?" Kit didn't have time to react before two of the armed men had grabbed her roughly by the forearms and started walking her out of the clearing. "Hang on a minute! Let go of me!" Kit struggled to break free, but that only made the leader glare at her and place a hand on the sword by his waist. She quickly decided that it would be safer if she just cooperated, and allowed the men to lead her away.

* * *

Muriel, a sorceress in training, ran frantically through the castle grounds, not bothering to apologize to the people she nearly knocked over. She had something to tell her teacher, and she needed to get there as fast as she could. She nearly tripped over her dress as she climbed to long staircase that led to her teacher's rooms at the tower. Reaching the top of the stairs, she paused for a moment to compose herself before lightly knocking on the door and letting herself in.

"Teacher, I'm sorry to interrupt your studies, but a female was caught trespassing on sacred grounds. Prince Rhydian asks what should be done with her."

Muriel's teacher, Niamh, looked up from the spell book she was reading. "Why are you asking me this? Just punish her according to the what the law states."

Muriel wrung her hands, unsure how to tell Niamh the truth of why she had come. _It's her sister; she has a right to know. _"Teacher." Niamh looked up again, annoyed.

"The trespasser, it's… it's Ailbhe."

Niamh froze, her expression of annoyance immediately replaced by one of confusion, though Muriel could have sworn that, for a second, she saw terror in her eyes.

"That's not possible…"

* * *

Kit was no longer cooperating. Her hands were tied behind her back and she was beginning to think she might be in danger. After being led through the forest to a castle, she had been brought into a courtyard filled with knights, armed to the teeth and not very friendly-looking. She was sick and tired of whatever was going on and she wanted someone to listen to her and answer her questions, darn it.

"Let me go!" She snapped as one of the guards shoved her a little too roughly, knocking her to her knees on a platform in the middle of the courtyard. "Who's in charge here? I need to talk to them! Don't you know kidnapping is illegal? Let me go! My father is going to sue you!"

"Silence!" The guard next to her ordered. He turned to address a man sitting at the head of the courtyard. "Your highness, this female was found trespassing on sacred grounds. What are your orders?"

The man looked at him, his expression clearly showing his boredom. "Throw her in prison, according to the law of the land."

"What land?" Kit nearly screamed. "Where am I?"

He looked at her, suddenly interested. "Camelot. Capital of Albion. How is it that you do not know this?"

"Camelot? Are you kidding?" Kit whispered, shocked. "I really went back in time?" She suddenly realized the very real danger she was in. "Let me go, please! I have to go back; I don't belong here!" Her protests were interrupted by a herald announcing someone's arrival.

"Make way for the sorceress!"

Niamh, followed closely by Muriel, marched gracefully into the courtyard, the crowd scrambling to get out of her way. She approached the platform, her eyes widening as she met Kit's gaze.

"Are you in charge here?" Kit asked desperately. "Listen to me. I'm not from this era; you have to let me go home!"

Niamh studied her, noticing her strange clothes (_Why is she wearing trousers?_) before finally focusing on her face. There was a moment of silence as the two women looked at each other.

"It's not _her_; look at her clothes." Niamh declared, turning to the man who had ordered Kit's imprisonment. "Prince Rhydian, she's clearly a witch, disguising herself in order to sneak inside the palace and assassinate his majesty. Execute her immediately!"

"What? No!" Kit screamed, struggling to break free from her captors. "You can't do this; let me go!" But her cries fell on deaf ears as the prince relayed the sorceress' orders. Kit began to panic as a man in black robes stepped out of the crowd, an axe in his hand. Her captors forced Kit's head onto a wooden stump: an executioner's block.

_God, if this is a dream, _Kit prayed. _Please let me wake up! I want to wake up! _She closed her eyes and screamed as the executioner raised his axe.

"His Majesty returns from hunting!" As if by a miracle, the herald once again interrupted the proceedings. Kit opened her eyes and sat up as her captors stepped aside to pay their respects to the man who was now marching angrily towards the prince.

"What is going on here, brother?" he demanded.

"Your majesty, this witch broke into our capital and trespassed in the shrine. Sorceress Niamh has ordered her execution."

"I'm not a witch!" Kit cried, her face still wet with frightened tears. "Let me go!" She turned to face the man who had interrupted her execution. "Sir, I beg you, please let me go. I'm not from this time; I have to go home!"

He turned to address her and his eyes widened in recognition. He stared at her, shocked into silence. Kit thought he looked at her as if she had sprouted wings.

"Untie her," he commanded, his voice barely audible. The soldiers rushed to obey. Kit stood up, rubbing her sore wrists and wondering what in heaven's name was going on. Her confusion only worsened when, the next thing she new, the man had pulled her into an embrace.

"Ailbhe," he breathed, his voice overflowing with emotion. "_Ailbhe."_

Kit had had enough. This was too much weirdness for one day.

"What are you doing?" she protested. "Let go of me! Let go!" She pulled away from him with a yell, her hand swinging through the air to slap him in the face.

Prince Rhydian, the soldiers, and everyone else in the courtyard was shocked into silence. They stared at her, not believing their eyes.

_Oh great, _Kit thought as she realized everyone was staring at her in shock, including the man she had just slapped. _What have I gotten myself into now?_

* * *

Niamh the sorceress paced around her study at the top of the eastern tower. She appeared calm to anyone who might have come in to ask for a favor, but inside, her mind was reeling.

_Why was that girl so similar? _Niamh stopped her pacing to trace her hand along the edge of a dusty scroll. _Could she really have come back? How can this be? I thought the prophecy was just a legend._

"Teacher!" Muriel called out as she burst through the door, interrupting Niamh's train of thought. "Teacher!"

"What is it?"

"His Majesty returned from hunting and stopped the execution. He let that woman go."

"What?!"

"She's been given a room in the palace. I think King Roald expects her to stay."

Niamh frowned. This was turning out to be a disaster.

* * *

Meanwhile, in another room in the palace, Kit was being tended to by two young maids, who had already changed her into a clean dress and taken her clothes away to wash. Kit, still in a daze, gathered her senses enough to stop one of the maids before she left.

"Um, excuse me?" The lady in waiting turned to face her. "Sorry to bother you, but can I ask you something?"

"There's no need to be so polite, milady. I am here to serve you." The maid curtseyed, much to Kit's embarrassment.

"Okay, then, um…who did I just slap?"

The maid stared at her, unable to believe that her mistress could be so dense. "He is the king of Albion and Lord of Camelot, his majesty King Roald." While Kit stood frozen in shock, the maid slipped away to finish her chores.

Kit sat heavily on the edge of the extravagant bed that was the center of her new quarters. _The King. Of Albion. I slapped the King of Camelot! I'm so dead! _Kit buried her head in her hands._ Did I really go back in time? Or is this just some elaborate hoax? _Kit thought for a moment and decided there was only one way to find out. Looking around the room, she spotted a stone dragon statue in the center of a nearby table. She ran and snatched it up, examining it.

_Yup, it's definitely an antique, _Kit decided, _you can tell by the workmanship. _She looked closer and noticed that it wasn't dusty or worn in anyway. In fact, it looked brand new_. Is it possible to have a new antique? Yes, of course it is, _Kit lamented. _If, of course, you manage to go back in time to when it was first made. _

Kit took the stone dragon back with her to sit on the bed. She stared at it for a long time, trying to process what she now knew had happened to her.

"You're quite handsome, " she said to the stone dragon. "You know, if I ever find a way back home, I think I'll take you with me. You'll make my father famous!" Kit decided that, as long as she was stuck there, she might as well do some exploring. Slipping the dragon under her pillow for safekeeping, she left.

* * *

"Niamh, is there something you need?" King Roald asked the sorceress, who had come to speak with him and yet had been standing silent for several minutes.

"Why did Your Majesty pardon that witch's execution?"

"Witch?" King Roald considered for a moment, then looked at Niamh sternly. "Are you the one who ordered her execution?" Niamh didn't answer. "Niamh, don't you think she looks like-?"

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry. But it's just not possible. She must be a witch, disguising herself to escape punishment."

"All the same, I think I will pardon her until we know more. Where is she now?" He directed the question to Niamh's lady in waiting, who had been temporarily reassigned to the mysterious visitor.

"She's in the garden, Your Majesty."

King Roald left to find her without another word, not noticing the despair on Niamh's face as he walked away.

**Up Next: Ailbhe, the Druid Princess**


	3. Chapter 3: Ailbhe, the Druid Princess

**A/N: Wow. I thought this would be an easy chapter to write, because most of the stuff in this is taken directly from The Holy Pearl, but I am trying to make King Roald a bit less creepy obsessive than Rong Di, and I'm making Kit a lot less spoiled than Yao Yao. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought, so reviews/follows/general encouragement would be greatly appreciated!**

**Chapter 3: Ailbhe, the Druid Princess**

Kit knelt next to gardenia bush, admiring the beautiful white blooms and enjoying their amazing fragrance. She had been exploring the castle gardens for nearly an hour, and had smelled almost every flower. Each one was gorgeous, but Kit decided the gardenias were her favorite. She was so focused on enjoying them that she didn't notice King Roald approaching her.

_Gardenias. Of course I'd find her here, _he smiled as he remembered, _they were her favorites as well. _He watched as Kit stood and turned to continue down the path. She froze, however, as soon as she realized who was walking towards her.

_Oh no, why is he here? _Kit fidgeted nervously. _He hugged me, and I slapped him. Oh I am so dead. Why is he here? _

The King stopped a respectful distance away, knowing that she was probably still nervous around him, especially since he had embraced her after mistaking her for someone else. There was a moment of awkward silence.

"I'm sorry I slapped you," Kit apologized. "You scared me, and I…I didn't know who you were, so I slapped you. I'm sorry, Your Majesty." Kit steeled herself for his response, expecting harsh words, and was completely shocked when he laughed.

"I should be the one apologizing, for being so forward when I met you. I thought you were someone else. It's my fault entirely." He stared at her for a few moments, and Kit resisted the urge to run away.

"But you really look like her," he added softly. The way he was looking at her…no one had ever looked at her that way before, and she wasn't sure if she should feel complimented or completely freaked out. He took a single step towards her, and that was enough for Kit to decide.

"Look, you're really creeping me out, I'm leaving," she said hurriedly, turning quickly to walk away.

"Wait!" The King called, startled. He grabbed her arm to keep her from running away.

"Don't touch me!" Kit screeched, shaking him off and backing away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," the King held his hands up in surrender. "I just wanted to tell you that the castle is hosting a feast to welcome you to Albion. I'm sure you're hungry by now, and tired from your travels." He held out his arm to direct her. "It's this way. May I escort you?"

Kit suddenly realized just how hungry she was. She hadn't had anything to eat in nearly a day. Nodding but choosing to ignore his offered hand, she turned and walked in the direction he had indicated. King Roald breathed a sigh of relief and followed after her.

"Don't walk so close!" Kit protested, forgetting again that she was addressing the king.

"Sorry!" He backed away, hiding a smile. _She acts like her, too._

* * *

When Kit and her escort arrived in the banquet hall, there were two people already waiting for them: the sorceress Niamh, the woman who had ordered her execution, and Prince Rhydian, the man who had relayed her orders.

_Way to make me feel comfortable, _Kit thought sarcastically as they bowed to His Majesty. _Both of these people tried to kill me today._

Eager to get away from them, she followed closely after the king and sat in the chair he had indicated, much to the chagrin of Prince Rhydian.

"How dare you take your seat before the king?" he protested angrily. Kit immediately stood up and glanced at the King, scared that he would order her execution. But the King simply smiled and brushed it aside.

"No, it's fine. Please, sit."

Kit returned to her seat, but not before sending a triumphant glare to the prince, who pursed his lips in annoyance.

After everyone had taken been seated, the King addressed Kit. "May I ask for your name?"

"Oh, right," Kit had forgotten that she had never actually told anyone her name. "Hello everyone!" She waved nervously. "My name is Katherine Cricket, but everyone calls me Kit."

"Lady Katharine, where did you come from?" King Roald inquired.

"I'm from…." She paused, wondering how she could possibly explain this impossible situation. "It's hard to explain. Um…" She took a deep breath. "I'm actually from the future?

"Yesterday, well, yesterday in my time, I was with my dad at an archaeological dig, and I accidentally fell into a hole. All of a sudden, my necklace started glowing, the wind started blowing, and there was a huge flash of light! Then I woke up in your shrine, the one with the tapestry." She didn't let herself pause to think about how crazy she must have sounded. "Then I was arrested for no reason, and that woman tried to have me killed." Kit glared at the sorceress, who was taken aback at being addressed so disrespectfully. "But it's all right," Kit continued with a nervous smile at the king. "You came and let me go." There was no response from anyone at the table. "Oh, you guys must think I'm crazy."

"Your speech is strange, and I'm not sure if I understood half of what you said," the sorceress Niamh said carefully, "but I am sure of this:" she turned to the king. "Your Majesty, she is definitely not my sister."

"I know that."

"No matter where you're from," the Prince interrupted, "trespassing on sacred grounds is a crime."

"What?" Kit protested. "How could I possibly have known? Did you put up a sign? I didn't see one. You can't punish someone for breaking a law they didn't know they were breaking!"

The Prince was red in the face. "You-"

"Brother, enough. Let it go," the King ordered. "It is her first time in Albion; she doesn't know the rules. She came here and didn't know where she was, and we proceeded to frighten her and make her feel most unwelcome." He turned to her. "Lady Katherine, please accept this feast as the country of Albion's heartfelt apology."

"Oh, okay." Kit wasn't sure how to respond to that. "But, before we eat, can I ask a question?"

"Please, ask." The King agreed.

"Everyone keeps saying that I look like someone else. Who is it that I look like?"

There was a pause as the three officials of Camelot looked at each other. It was the King who finally spoke up.

"You look like the previous court sorceress, the Druid Princess, Ailbhe."

"Ailbhe? Where is she now?"

"She died," Niamh answered.

"Yes, she is no longer with us." The King's voice and expression made Kit think that there was something he wasn't telling her.

"Was she your wife?"

"No," the king said after a moment of tense silence. "But I loved her." He shook his head. "Enough talk of the past. Let's eat."

"Okay!" Kit decided to drop the matter for now. She'd find out the whole story eventually.

* * *

Later that evening, King Roald and Niamh were walking together through the halls of the castle. Niamh was trying to do her job as one of the King's advisors, but he was refusing to listen.

"Your Majesty, we don't know anything about her! Even if you refuse to kill her, she cannot stay inside the castle!"

"Why?" Niamh was startled by his question, and fiumbled for an appropriate answer.

"She speaks as though deranged and she has no manners! Besides that, I'm still not convinced that she is not a witch come to deceive you. She could pose a threat to the safety of both Your Majesty and the entire kingdom!"

"But doesn't she remind you of Ailbhe?"

"Only in appearance. My sister was a powerful sorceress, dignified and elegant. This woman is nothing more than a petulant child. How can she compare to her?" Niamh paused for a moment, noticing His Majesty's expression and realizing that he had not listened to a word she said.

"Your Majesty, my sister is dead. You have to let her go." The King ignored her and turned to walk away. "She's been gone for nearly five years, can you not forget about her?"

"I cannot!" He shouted, turning back to face his sorceress advisor. Seeing her fright and concern, he lowered his voice. "I loved her, and I will continue to love her until I can be with her once again." With that promise, he turned his back on her and walked away.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Kit asked King Roald. He had come to her quarters and said he wanted to take her to meet someone. They were currently in the gardens she had explored earlier, and she was beginning to wonder where exactly he was taking her. "Are we almost there? Who is this person you want me to meet?"

"You'll know when you see her." The King called back to her, before turning down a small path Kit hadn't seen before. It led to a wall covered in vines. _Why would he take me to a dead end? _But as she was about to voice her question, the King pulled aside the thickest group of vines, revealing a wooden door. He unlocked the door and stepped inside, holding it open for her to follow.

"A secret garden!" Kit exclaimed. The small garden was surrounded on all four sides by stone walls, and contained a small pond, thousands of flowers, and a single white oak tree, under which rested a marble statue of a woman.

"What is this place? It's gorgeous!"

"This is Ailbhe's grave."

"Wait, she's the one who looks like me, isn't she?" Kit walked towards the statue, and stared up at it, her jaw dropping open. Ailbhe looked like her, certainly. They could have been twins. But what caught Kit's eye was the dress she was wearing. She had seen it before, somewhere…

_This is the woman from the painting dad found! _Kit gasped. _She's the woman from that dream, the one who was attacked! _Kit shook her head; this was just too weird.

Suddenly, Kit gasped again, this time from pain. Her head, which had felt fine moments before, now felt like someone was driving an ice pick through her skull.

"Lady Katherine! Are you all right?" King Roald rushed to her side as she clutched at her temples. "What's wrong?"

"My head, it hurts!" Kit was terrified. The oak tree's branches began to sway in the wind, although there was no breeze. "What's happening?" Kit screamed in pain.

"Lady Katherine! Lady Katherine!" King Roald caught her as she collapsed, unconscious. "Guards! Come quickly!"

**A/N: Last chapter, I posted that Niamh's parallel Inuyasha character was Kaede. Although this is technically true, as she is Ailbhe's (Kikyo's) sister, her background and personality more closely match those of Tsubaki. Sorry for any confusion!**

**Up Next: The First Demon War**


	4. Chapter 4: The First Demon War

**A/N: First review and follow this week! I don't care that it's only one, I'm really excited! Thank you to marnika and .5209 for your support! You guys are the reason I wrote this chapter!**

_**New Characters:  
**Dragonstone - Inuyasha/Holy Pearl_

_Calisto - Kagura/Hu Ji  
Balor - Naraku/Shi You Ming  
Beathai - Urasue/? (don't remember her name, sorry)  
_

**_Disclaimer: I still don't own The Holy Pearl or Inuyasha, and you should still watch both of them; they're beautiful._**

**Chapter 4: The First Demon War**

Far away in a castle made of black obsidian, two demons screamed in agony at the feet of a man whose heart was as black as the castle over which he ruled. These two demons had failed him one too many times, and they were paying the price. In the next room, a woman in red grew impatient, fanning herself irritably. She had news to deliver to her lord, and was tired of waiting for him to finish whatever tortures he had designed for the pitiful demons inside. Finally, the screams ceased and she let herself into the throne room, using her fan to cover her nose and breathing only through her mouth. Nothing smelled nearly as foul as dead demon.

"Calisto," the man acknowledged her entrance, wiping his bloodied hands on a towel. "Why is it that you have interrupted me?"

"Apologies, my lord. " Calisto curtsied. "But I'm afraid I have some interesting news."

"Define 'interesting.'" The Demon King, Balor, demanded coolly.

"Your servant, Beathai, has sensed a change. The door between worlds has been opened and crossed."

"That is indeed 'interesting.' But why is it so important that you would risk your life to interrupt me?"

"My lord, the Dragonstone has returned to this world." Balor's eyes widened almost imperceptibly as he realized what Calisto meant. He whirled around to face her.

"The prophecy is true then." The corner of his lips turned upward slightly in a scheming smile. "Ailbhe has returned."

* * *

Kit groaned in pain. Her head, though not as painful as before, still throbbed. Opening her eyes, she was startled to see the King leaning over her, a concerned expression on his face.

"Wha—?" Kit jerked awake, sitting up quickly and pushing away from him, nearly falling off the bed in the process. "Don't _do _that!" she cried, glaring at him. "You gave me a heart attack!"

"My apologies, Lady Katherine." The King stood, feeling relieved that she was well enough to be cross with him. "I was merely concerned for your well-being."

"What happened?" Kit asked, rubbing her sore head. The last thing she remembered was being in the secret garden with her head feeling like it was about to explode.

"You seem to have had an adverse reaction to Ailbhe's gravesite. You were in pain, and then you fainted. The sorceress, Niamh, is trying to discover the cause of your distress.

"Lady Katherine, there is something I must ask you," King Roald changed subjects abruptly.

Kit shrugged. "Ask away."

"Where did you get this necklace?" Kit looked down and saw her crystal pendant in the King's hands. "It was on the ground when the guards carried you away. I assume it is yours?" He offered it back to her.

"Yes. It's been in my family for generations." Kit took the necklace and noticed a strange expression on His Majesty's face. "Why?"

"Because…this necklace once belonged to Ailbhe."

Kit froze. _There's that name again, _she thought testily, _I'm sick of being compared to her and only getting half-answers. Enough is enough!_

"Your Majesty, who was Ailbhe? Who was she to you, I mean."

The King looked at her with such sadness in his eyes that Kit almost regretted asking. Almost.

"I loved her."

"That's not an answer." Kit protested, annoyed. "Everyone keeps saying I look like her. Some stare at me as if I were a ghost. Others seem angry. Whoever this lady was, she was clearly more important than just someone you were in love with!"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

The King sighed, not wanting to talk about her anymore but somehow unable to say no to Kit.

"It all started hundreds of years ago, during the First Demon War.

* * *

_Back then, the two great races lived together in harmony: the earthly people, which were humans and creatures of the earth, and the mythical beings, which included dragons, demons, dryads, and fairies. The humans ruled over the earth, and the fairies ruled over Avalon, the celestial land. All was well, until some of the mythical beings looked down upon the earth and grew jealous. They were no longer satisfied with living peacefully in Avalon; they wanted the Earth as well. The demons gathered an army of monsters and laid siege to the earth for many days and nights. All who stood in their way, whether they were human or not, were destroyed. _

_Then, a miracle happened. Two Dryads, the daughters of the Forest King, looked down upon the earth, and felt pity. They saw the courage of the humans and descended to Earth to try and help. They called upon their friendship with the Dragon King, and forged from his fire a weapon that could dampen the powers of any mythical being. Together with a human king, the King of Dragons, and various creatures from Avalon, the two sisters fought against the demon army, holding them at bay but not gaining any ground._

_When the Queen of the Fairies, the ruler of Avalon, saw what the sisters had done, she was moved by their love for the humans, and used her own powers to strengthen the weapon they had made, defeating the hoard of darkness and banishing the treacherous demons from Avalon forever. She decreed that since the fairies were the only ones who had not been tainted by bloodshed, they would be the only ones allowed to stay in the heavenly realm. All others were cast out onto the Earth, where they lived as monsters, hated by the humans._

_The Fairy Queen tried to make an exception for the Dryad Princesses, but the sisters refused. They had fallen in love with the human world, with the people who were so weak and yet showed such strength of heart. They asked the Fairy Queen is they could stay and help the human king protect the people from the demons that now roamed the land. The Queen consented, and granted the sisters their wish, on the condition that they remained pure of heart and did not let human emotion taint their souls, as the demons had done. If they did, the weapon they had forged could be used for evil, and the world would be destroyed. The sisters agreed, and became the immortal Druid advisors to the King._

_The elder sister was called Ailbhe, and the younger sister was called Niamh. They stayed on Earth for many decades, protecting the Dragonstone and the people they loved so much._

* * *

"Niamh and Ailbhe kept their word, and stayed with the people of Albion, protecting them from harm. Everything was well, until one day, when…." The King trailed off, staring into the distance.

"When?" Kit prompted, eager to hear the rest of the story.

"When I fell in love with her." King Roald said with a heavy heart. "Ailbhe and Niamh had sworn not to allow human emotion into their hearts. I knew that, but I fell for her anyway. And because of that, Ailbhe died.

"When I confessed my love for her, though she did not return my feelings, Ailbe knew she couldn't stay in Camelot. She retreated to the shrine under the stone circle that had been built in memory of the Demon War. There, she was attacked by a half-demon who had come to steal the sacred weapon. She chased him for three days and three nights. Shortly after she returned to Camelot, the half-demon attacked the city, slaughtering hundreds in his attempt to retrieve the weapon once more. Ailbhe used her magic to seal him away in the shrine, but the effort drained her of her energy, and she succumbed to her injuries.

"She died in my arms." The King whispered, his voice full of emotion.

_Oh no, please don't cry. _Kit prayed. _I have enough on my plate to deal with right now. I can't handle a grown man crying. _

"I'm so sorry." Kit wasn't sure what to say. "But you shouldn't blame yourself. The demon killed her, not you."

"But she never would have met him if my confession hadn't chased her away." The King clenched his jaw in determination. "I wasn't able to help her then, but I know I can make it up to her now."

"What do you mean?"

"When she died, she asked to be burned along with the stone, so that she could take it with her to the other world, where it would never harm another human being again. I believe she succeeded, and she ended up in that other world…" The King looked up from the ground into Kit's eyes. "and I believe, she became you."

"What?!" Kit whispered, wanting to shout but unable to find her voice. This was just too crazy. The King must have gone mad with grief. To Kit's horror, the King knelt on the ground in front of her, taking her hands in his.

"I couldn't protect you then, but I will protect you now, always. With you as my Queen, no harm will ever come to you!"

"WHAT?!" Kit succeeded in screaming this time, ripping her hands out of his grasp and darting away from him. "Are you CRAZY?! I can't marry you! I have to go _home_!" She backed away from him as he stepped closer.

"I am the King, and you will marry me!" King Roald ordered. "I have to make up for my mistake!"

"So I have to suffer for what you did? No!" Kit pushed past him. "I'm going home!" Kit tried to run out the door, but was stopped by the guards outside her door.

"Keep her under house arrest until the wedding. If she escapes, I'll have your head." King Roald barked at the nearest guard.

"You can't do this!" Kit shouted as he left, leaving her alone with her new jailers. "You can't keep me here! I have to go home!" She gave up fighting against the guard and retreated back into her quarters with a huff. "I have to see my dad again! I have an essay due next week!" She kicked the bedpost before flinging herself onto the covers. "YOU GUYS DON'T EVEN HAVE TOILETS HERE!" Kit buried her head in her pillow and screamed in fury until she couldn't scream any more.

**A/N: Boy, that legend was hard to write. I'm not even sure if I did it correctly, because I changed so much from both stories. Sorry for any confusion. I suppose there's only a few things you need to know: 1) The Fairy Queen is in charge of everything, 2) Ailbhe and the Dragon King were friends once 3) Dragons are now considered as low as demons and other monsters 4) Kit did not go back in time; she traversed between worlds, and I'll explain it in detail later. 5) Yes, King Roald is really obsessive and possessive. And creepy. Sorry.**

**Up Next: The Dragonstone**


	5. Chapter 5: The Dragonstone

**A/N: I still don't own anything. But we finally get to meet Camelot's Inuyasha in this chapter! I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited!**

_**New Characters:  
**Dragonstone - Inuyasha/Holy Pearl_

_Leuwin ("loo-win") - Inuyasha/Wen Tian_

**_And I might as well tell you now that all of the names in this story have meaning, and I chose them for a reason. I might explain some of them later on, but for now, just know that I'm not picking obscure names just to mess with you. :)_**

**Chapter 5: The Dragonstone**

"Have you lost your mind, brother?!" Prince Rhydian was furious. First, his brother had reversed his order of execution; then he had invited the accused to live in the palace; now he was marrying that strange woman? "You cannot be serious!"

Rhydian tried to calm down.

"Last time you fell in love, a half-demon attacked the castle and many people were killed. You cannot do this to your country again!" Rhydian glared at his older brother, who didn't look like he was listening at all. "The woman cannot be queen; she knows nothing of this world!"

"Have you ever been in love?" King Roald asked, his voice showing no signs or anger or frustration. The prince was taken aback.

"No, I haven't."

"Then you cannot possibly understand. Leave," he ordered.

"But Majesty!"

"Leave!" King Roald snapped.

"Brother, please." Rhydian looked at his sibling, begging him to come to his senses.

"Leave."

Rhydian left.

* * *

Muriel knocked on her teacher's door, dreading what she was about to do.

"Come in!" Muriel entered the room and took a deep breath.

"The King is marrying Lady Katherine!" she blurted out, immediately gasping and covering her mouth. She hadn't meant to say it so abruptly, but she had been so worried that she wouldn't be able to say it at all that it just slipped out.

"WHAT?!" Her teacher fumed, sending waves of magical power crashing around the room.

"I'm so sorry, teacher, I didn't know how else to tell you. I'm sorry." Muriel quickly excused herself and ran from the tower, nearly knocking over Prince Rhydian who was waiting outside to see the sorceress.

"How dare she do this?" Niamh hissed. "She's been dead for five years, and yet she still insists on taking him from me!"

"Pardon?" Rhydian asked as he entered her room. "Did you say something?"

"Nothing." Niamh snapped at him. He stared hard at her face, deciding that yes, she would definitely be on his side.

"We can't allow this to happen, sorceress. We can't allow him to marry that wench."

"I know." Niamh agreed. "But don't worry; I have an idea."

* * *

"GET THAT THING OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Kit screamed, shoving the maid away from her. The ladies in waiting had come to help her try on her wedding dress, and Kit was having none of that. "Out, out, OUT!" She pushed them out of her room and bolted the doors behind them. "I'm not putting that on, ever! I'm not marrying that creep!" Kit heard a noise behind her and shipped around, taking a deep breath and preparing to yell at whoever it was.

"GET – oh it's you." Kit saw Muriel standing in the doorway, a bundle of clothes in her arms. "Look, I like you, Muriel, but you're crazy if you think I'm going to marry someone I just met, just because I look like his ex-girlfriend!"

Muriel raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I understood what you just said, Lady Katherine, but if you do not wish to marry His Majesty, then we are on the same side. Here," Muriel said as she shoved the bundle in her arms towards Kit.

"My clothes?" Kit gasped. "You're going to help me escape!"

"Yes, now hurry and change. We don't have much time. The spell I put on the guards will only last a few more minutes."

Kit nodded, rushing to change into her blue jeans and t-shirt. When she was done, she grabbed her backpack and, at the last moment, remembered something. She reached under the pillows on her bed and grabbed the stone dragon, shoving it into the outside pocket. "Ready!"

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S ESCAPED?" The King roared at the guard in front of him. "How could she escape when there were three armed guards outside her door?"

"Your Majesty, it seems as though she climbed out the window. We found a makeshift rope made of linens hanging out the open glass." the guard coughed. "We also found that several of His Majesty's valuables are missing."

Not caring about the stolen items, the King turned to Prince Rhydian. "Send a search party out for her. No matter what, I want her found and brought back to me!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Rhydian bowed. He ran out to where the guards were waiting for orders.

"The witch has stolen a priceless artifact from the King," Rhydian announced, twisting the truth in order to get what he wanted. It was a skill he had perfected over the years. "We have been ordered to find her. And kill her."

* * *

Kit ran through the forest, trying to remember how to get back to the stone circle. Maybe it she got back there, she could somehow get the shrine to return her to her own time. She stopped in a clearing, looking around for anything familiar.

"Please, help me," Kit heard a weak voice call out. She turned towards the source of the sound, and saw an old woman leaning against a large boulder, her withered face wracked with pain.

"Are you all right, ma'am?" Kit asked, concerned. She walked over to the old woman. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Please," she rasped, reaching for Kit. "The Dragonstone. I need the Dragonstone!"

_The what? _Kit had expected her to ask for water, or food, not some stupid rock! _What is she talking about, what's the – oh. _Kit suddenly realized what the old woman was asking for. She took off her backpack and dug through it a moment before grabbing the item and holding it out to the woman.

"I was saving this for my dad," Kit said as the old lady stared at the stone dragon statue, "but I think you need it more."

"Stupid child!" The old lady hissed, knocking the dragon away. It smashed against the side of the boulder, crumbling to pieces.

"Hey!

"I need the Dragonstone, give me the Dragonstone!" The woman lurched towards her, causing Kit to take a step back.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"No?" The old woman tilted her head to the side and stared at Kit. "No, I suppose you don't. I guess I'll just have to eat you then!" Kit screamed as the woman's eyes turned yellow and she suddenly grew large fangs. _A demon!_

The demon lunged at her, but was suddenly thrown aside. Kit looked up to see a beautiful woman in a scarlet dress standing at the edge of the clearing, brandishing what looked like a white fan. The woman, Calisto, smirked and approached Kit, appearing to glide across the grass.

"Thank you so much!" Kit gushed. The adrenaline rushing through her was causing her to speak without thinking first, and so she continued. "Wow, you're really pretty. You look like you're Photoshopped or something! I didn't know they made sexy dresses in medieval times, but yours – hey, how'd you defeat that monster anyway? Oh well, thanks for saving me. My name's Kit." Kit offered her hand to shake, but the woman just ignored it.

"You know, as thanks for saving me, you should give the Dragonstone to me instead."

Kit frowned. "I'd love to, but I don't know what you're talking about. I really don't!"

Calisto rolled her eyes. "The sacred crystal hidden in your necklace, you incompetent fool!"

"Hey, there's no need to insult me!" Kit put her hands on her hips. "I'm not from this time period, how am I supposed to know anything?"

"Give me the stone!" Calisto screeched. She tried lunging for it herself, but was stopped when an arrow flew by her face, missing by inches. She and Kit looked up to see a group of armed guards, led by Prince Rhydian, rushing into the clearing. Kit gulped. _Now I'm done for! _

To her surprise, the woman in red stepped in front of her, as if shielding her from the King's guards.

"Sorry boys," she taunted, "This girl is mine."

Prince Rhydian noticed the way she spoke, the way she stood, and knew immediately that this seductress was not one he could allow to talk. "Kill her!" He ordered, and the first line of guards rushed forwards. Kit covered her eyes, not wanting to see the woman get hacked to pieces. But instead of a woman's scream, the air was filled with the cried of the soldiers. Kit opened her eyes, not wanting to see but overcome by curiousity.

The woman in red was fighting against the King's men, and was actually winning. She brandished her fan at them, and without even toughing them, send them flying backwards.

_That fan of hers must be magic, _Kit thought, _but no matter who wins this fight, I'm still really screwed! _Deciding it would be best to leave, she quietly slipped away and ran towards where she thought the shrine was, not noticing the large snake slithering through the grass, following her through the woods.

Princes Rhydian stared at the woman in red as she tore through his men. The way she fought…it was like she was dancing. Rhydain was hypnotized. He had never seen a woman so beautiful in all his life. _It's a pity she has to die, _Rhydian sneered to himself as he drew his sword to fight her himself. _Oh well. I'll enjoy slicing that body to pieces. _

Soon, the woman in red had killed all of his men, and the only ones in the field were Calisto and Prince Rhydian. Her fan locked with his sword, their faces inches from each other. The two enemies stared at each other, his eyes full of anger, and hers full of mischief. She looked him over.

"I won't kill you," she declared, stepping away with a smirk. "You're too handsome." With that, she leapt into the air, disappearing into a puff of smoke. Rhydian stared at where she had disappeared, watching a white feather slowly flutter to the ground. He picked it up and stuffed it in his pocket before turning his back on the field and heading back to Camelot to tell the King.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the shrine, Kit was trying everything she could to get the necklace to send her back to her father. She begged it, she shook it; she even tried saying "Abracadabra" and "Open Sesame," but nothing worked. She was about to spout off more "magic words" when she heard a low hiss behind her.

_Did I close the door behind me? _Kit tried to remember. She hadn't. Panicking, she looked around for a place to hide, but there was nowhere. Then she remembered the statue in the room with the strange man. _Do I really want to hide in there with him? _

But there was no more time to think about it. Kit turned and saw a huge snake descending the staircase into the shrine, and ran to the room with the statue. She was in such a hurry to get away from the monster that she didn't see the uneven stone in the doorway, and she tripped, flying forward and landing on something soft. To her dismay, Kit realized she was now lying on top of the unconscious horned man. She necklace around Kit's neck pulse with light, and the man's eyes snapped open.

Kit shrieked, clambering on all fours away from him. He sat up and looked around, glaring when he saw her on the floor.

"It wasn't bad enough that you imprisoned me, now you're trying to kill me, too?"

"What are you talking about? Who are—" Kit screamed again as she heard the snake woman hiss from the shrine room. She leapt to her feet and ran to hide behind the strange man. "Save me!"

"What are you doing?" he snapped at her. "What's wrong with you that you can't even beat such a small snake demon?"

"Small?!" Kit shrieked, causing him to wince and pull away from her. "You can't even see it! That thing is huge! Help me!"

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't."

"WHY NOT?"

The horned man stared at her, dumbfounded. "Because you sealed me in here, you stupid wench! If you want my help, then undo the seal!"

"How do I do that?"

"Are you trying to be funny, Ailbhe, or did you really forget? Use your crystal, stupid!" He pointed at a sphere on the ceiling.

Kit glared at him, but took out her necklace and held it up to the sphere, which began to glow. Kit pulled her necklace down and stopped the glowing, suddenly thinking of something.

"Wait, are you a good guy or a bad guy?" she asked the stranger.

"Who cares if I'm good or bad? It's all a matter of opinion anyway. Besides, it doesn't matter. I'm not the one who wants to eat you; she is." The man pointed towards the door where, sure enough, a large snake's head was slithering through.

"EEK! OKAY, OKAY!" Kit held up the crystal necklace and the sphere glowed brighter and brighter before it burst in a flash of light. Kit was still seeing spots when the man was suddenly on his feet, smirking at the snake.

"Oh, you are so dead." The man leapt at the snake, which reared up with a hiss, as if to strike him with her fangs. But before Kit could call out a warning, the horned man lashed out, and the snake's head was suddenly no longer attached to the body. As Kit stared open-mouthed, the pieces disintegrated into a pile of ashes. The man turned to her.

"Ailbhe, why did you imprison me? Why did you try to kill me?"

"What? Kill? I've never killed anybody!" Kit suddenly realized what he had called her. "Oh, you think I'm that girl, just like everybody else has. No, no, no." She shook her head. "My name is Kit."

"Stop lying and give me the stone Ailbhe, or I'll tear you to shreds!"

Kit's eyes filled with angry tears. She was so sick of this place. "I knew it!" she cried, rushing past him. "You are the bad guy!"

The man stared as she ran, so confused now that he didn't even think to chase after her.

Kit reached the tapestry room and hurriedly climbed the stairs to the surface. If she couldn't get back home, the least she could do would be to get away from all the crazy people who either wanted to kill her or to marry her.

Kit was about to run away, but found herself face to face with a group of demons, all of whom stared at her hungrily.

"Oh, come on!" Kit groaned. _Can't the universe give me a break?_

Just then, the horned man burst out of the shrine behind her, and Kit found herself trapped between a man who was trying to kill her, and a lot of men who were trying to kill her.

She screamed and ducked, closing her eyes as the man from the shrine leapt towards her.

She heard a gust of wind above her and suddenly the demons were screaming in pain. Kit opened her eyes and saw that instead of attacking her, the horned man had leapt over her head to come to her defense. _What is with this guy? Kill me or don't, just make up your freaking mind! _Kit ran to hide behind one of the stone monoliths and waited for the battle to be over.

When she heard the fighting stop, she crawled out from her hiding place only to come face to face with her attacker/rescuer.

"I'm dead," she moaned to herself.

"Ailbhe, why did you betray me?" he demanded.

"I told you before, I'm not Ailbhe! My name it Katherine. Ka-ther-in! Got it?"

"If you don't tell me, I'll kill you!" He swung his fist at her, only to have it collide with a barrier of light, the force of impact knocking him backwards. Kit, who had shut her eyes and flung out her hands in defense, opened her eyes wide when she saw the sphere of light surrounding her and the horned man sprawled on the grass.

"Did I do that?" She looked up for the source of the light, and saw her necklace floating in the center of the stone circle above their heads. "The Dragonstone?"

Suddenly, the woman in red materialized at the edge of the stone circle, a triumphant smile on her face. She took one step towards the stone, and stopped abruptly when she saw the horned man.

"Leuwin? You're alive?"

"More alive than you're about to be, Calisto!" He taunted before flinging himself at her. She leapt into the air and out of the way, but didn't disappear. No, this was too interesting to leave just yet. She brandished her fan at him, sending him flying backwards into a tree. Calisto then landed lightly back on the ground and prepared to strike the injured man, but before she could do anything, he was back on his feet.

"Nice try, wench But it takes more than that to defeat me!" The horned man – _Leuwin, _Kit reminded herself – turned to address Kit. "Get the stone!" he ordered before attacking Calisto.

"How?" Kit stared up at the crystal, which was at least twenty feet above her head.

"How should I know?" Leuwin growled, dodging Calisto's fan. "I'm a little busy right now!" He swung at his attacker, missing her by inches but breaking a piece off of the monolith behind her. Calisto smirked and leapt out of the way as he whirled to strike again.

Kit stared up at the stone, which was still out of her reach. _What do I do? _She wondered, searching for a solution. _Well, if that thing is magic, then maybe it can hear me. It's a stupid idea, but it's the only one I've got!_

"Come here!" Kit stretched out her hand and yelled at the Dragonstone, nearly dropping it in surprise when it obeyed and came down to land gently in her palm.

"Run, you idiot!" Leuwin shouted at her from where he grappled with Calisto. Kit rushed to obey, but was stopped when Calisto dematerialized form her fight with Leuwin and reappeared in front of Kit.

"Give me the Dragonstone, or I'll kill you, foolish mortal!"

"No, Ailbhe! That thing is mine, give it back!" Leuwin shouted from behind her. Calisto, seeing her hesitation, prepared to strike.

"Wait!" Kit stared at the both of them. She wasn't sure whom she could trust. Both of them had saved her, yes, but they had also both threatened to kill her. She didn't know whom to choose, so she did the only thing she could think of. "You want the stone?" Kit removed her necklace. "Then go and get it!" Kit spun and flung the crystal into the air as hard as she could.

"NOOO!" both Leuwin and Calisto shouted in horror as the stone hit one of the stone monoliths and shattered, sending crystal shards flying in every direction. There was a moment of stunned silence and Calisto took her chance to escape, disappearing into the sky.

"What have you done?" Leuwin turned to Kit, his fists shaking with anger.

"I didn't—" Kit was spared from having t answer by the arrival of what looked like the entire royal court. His Majesty, King Roald, stared in shock at the scene that greeted him.

"Leuwin!" he spat out angrily. "How did you lift the seal?" There was no response. "Guards, get him!"

"What, too scared to fight me yourself?" Leuwin crouched, preparing to fight.

"Stop!" Niamh shouted. "Are you seriously fighting over personal matters right now!" She turned to Kit. "Those demons that Prince Rhydian fought, they were after the Dragonstone, weren't they? Where is it?"

Kit stared at the ground, ashamed.

"I think I broke it."

"WHAT?!"

**A/N: Uh-oh! Someone's in trouble… Just for clarification, yes, both Rhydian and Niamh are not-so-good good guys. Rhydian is just as creepy and possessive as his brother, but chooses violence to get people to do what he wants, instead of political power. You'll learn more about him and Niamh later.**

**So what do you guys think of Leuwin? **

**Up Next: SÍOS!**


	6. Chapter 6: SÍOS!

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. At all.**

**A/N: Finally! It's time for some SIT BOY!**

**_New Characters:  
_**_Dragonstone - Inuyasha/Holy Pearl_

_Captain Milo - N.A./Jiang Han  
Abban - Jaken/Jui Gui_

**Chapter 6: SÍOS!**

An hour later, Kit was standing uncomfortably in Niamh's study, listening to her scolding. Behind her stood the King, Prince Rhydian, Muriel, and the Captain of the Guard. Leuwin had run off somewhere as soon as they arrived at the castle.

"Do you realize what you've done?" Niamh hissed at Kit, venom dripping from her voice. "That crystal amplifies magic, good or evil! If any demon got a hand on any of the broken pieces, it would become more powerful. And don't even get me started on what would happen if the Demon King found a shard, or even worse, all of them!"

Kit looked at the table, staring at the grain. _It's not my fault the stupid thing broke._

"You come here from another world, and the first thing you do is try to destroy us!"

"Wait, what?" Kit protested, confused. "Another world? What are you talking about? I thought I just came back in time."

"Wrong. Time travel is impossible."

"But the stone circle.…"

"The Druid circle exists in your world because it is one of the connections between this world and the next. When you fell into the shrine underneath, the Dragonstone sensed the world it came from, and opened the door between worlds. You just happened to tag along when it came home. And now look what's happened: the Dragonstone is destroyed, and we're all in danger, and it's all your fault!"

"I didn't do it on purpose," Kit mumbled.

"That's right," King Roald jumped to her defense, "It was an unfortunate accident." He turned to face his sorceress. "Is there any other way to stop the demons?"

"Another way?" Niamh stared at His Majesty. "I can't just forge another stone like we did during the First War."

"No," Muriel spoke up quietly. "But maybe you can re-forge the existing one." All eyes turned to Muriel, who pushed her glasses up her nose nervously. "If we were to gather all the shards, there's a scroll in the village of Eiderdown that contains instructions on how to put it back together, and how to use it once it is complete."

"Yes, but how do you suggest we gather all of the shards? When news of the return of the Dragonstone gets out, demons from all over the world will come here to try and steal it. It's too dangerous to send someone outside the palace. We don't even know how many there are!"

"Twelve." Kit said, much to everyone's surprise.

"What did you say?" Niamh demanded to know, glaring at Kit.

"There are twelve shards." Kit answered, glaring back. "I don't know how I know, I just do." There was a moment's pause.

"You released the seal on Leuwin, didn't you?" Niamh inquired, not sounding angry, just confused.

"Yes. I thought he could help me. I didn't realize it was wrong. I'm sorry."

"But," Muriel protested. "Only Ailbhe could have removed the spell, and she's dead!"

"In this world, yes." Niamh said slowly, not wanting to voice what she suddenly knew without a doubt to be true. "But in the other world, the one from which Lady Katherine came, she was still alive. That is, until she managed to find her way back here."

Everyone stared at Kit, who stared back at Niamh with her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open.

"So, you're saying, Ailbhe and I are the same person, just from different worlds?"

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."

"But I can't be." Kit whispered, "could I?"

"Think about it, Lady Katherine." The King explained to her gently. "You look exactly like her, you seem to have the same spiritual powers, and you were in possession of the Dragonstone. It also might explain why you had such a strong reaction to being around Ailbhe's remains."

"And that's why," Niamh stood and met Kit's shocked brown eyes. "That's why you must go and gather the twelve shards, and re-forge the Dragonstone."

* * *

Leuwin had separated from the group as soon as they were inside the palace. He still didn't trust King What's-His-Face not to arrest him. Besides, there was someone he needed to see, and she definitely wasn't inside the palace.

He climbed over the wall surrounding the secret garden and silently approached the statue under the white oak tree. He stared at the marble.

_They did a good job. It almost looks just like her. But her eyes are dead. They were usually sparkling…_Leuwins train of thought came to a crashing halt as he remembered when Ailbhe's eyes had looked just like this statue. The day she betrayed him.

His heart ached as he remembered the look on her face, the pain of the sealing spell. He knelt next to her grave.

"Why, Ailbhe?" Leuwin breathed, his voice shaking. "Why did you betray me? You said you would live with me in the forest; you promised me. Why would you seal me away? Was everything you told me a lie?" Leuwin felt his heart sink as the reality of her death hit him. She couldn't answer; she was gone.

"I'm so sorry." Leuwin did not cry, but his voice grew heavy with emotion. "I couldn't protect you, and now you're gone. But I promise, I will find the person who did this to you, and I will kill them."

Leuwin stood, brushing the dirt from his trousers. As he did so, he noticed that the bow and quiver full of arrows that the statue carried were not made of marble: they were real. Leuwin sent a prayer to Ailbhe's spirit and snatched them from the statue. As he held them in his hands, he was glad that he could fight beside her once more, though not quite in the way he wanted. Pushing such sentimental thoughts aside, he left the grave and climbed out of the garden.

* * *

"Someone has to go with her!" the King shouted furiously. "It's too dangerous for her to go alone!"

"Yes, someone should, but that person can't be you!" Rhydian snapped. "You have a Kingdom to look after, remember?"

"Let someone else do it for a change!" The bickering continued, driving Kit insane. She would go by herself if that would stop their stupid arguing!

"We don't know how long this search will last, you can't leave your people without knowing when you will return!" Niamh tried to persuade His Majesty.

"I am the King, I'll do as I please!"

"I'll go!"

Everyone turned to see who had spoken, and were all surprised to see Leuwin leaning in the doorway. Immediately, the Captain of the Guard steeped in front of the King, shielding him. But Leuwin merely rolled his eyes.

"If I was here to fight, you'd already be dead, so just calm down, will you?" Leuwin smirked. "Look, you need someone to go with this wench—"

"Hey!" Kit yelled, stepping around the Captain to stand in front of Leuwin. "For the last time, my name isn't 'wench.' It's Kit!" Leuwin ignored her.

"—to find the shards. I'll go," he finished.

It was Niamh's turn to step forward. "You just want to find the twelve shards for yourself! How can we trust you?"

"You don't have to trust me, because I'm your best and only option."

"You've killed hundreds of humans," Rhydian accused.

"And I've killed thousands of demons." The two glared at each other, and Kit decided it was time for her to interfere.

"Look, I'll go with this kid—"

"Kid?! My name is Leuwin!"

"Whatever." Kit brushed him off. "He may look dangerous, I think he's a good person. I choose him."

"Listen, Prince, every human or demon I killed deserved to die, got that?" Leuwin growled at Rhydian.

"What about Ailbhe?!" The King raged, stepping forward, only to be blocked by the Captain, who was still trying to protect him. "Get out of the way, Milo! What did Ailbhe do to deserve death?"

"I didn't kill Ailbhe!" Leuwin roared.

"How can you say that!" The King roared back, successfully freeing himself from behind Milo and stepping forward threateningly.

"You want to fight?" Leuwin mocked, his face still flushed with anger.

"I'm not afraid of you, half-breed!"

"Why you-"

"SHUT UP!" Kit screamed, jumping between them and pushing the two men away from each other. "Why are you fighting? You're on the same side!" She turned to each man in turn. "Your Majesty, you stay here and protect Camelot; Leuwin, you come tih me to find the shards. OKAY?"

Everyone in the room stared at her, their eyebrows raised in surprise. Who was this girl that not only dared to yell at a King, but also managed to yell louder than a dragon? Kit saw everyone's eyes on her and realized what she had done.

"Okay?" she repeated quietly, embarrassed by her outburst.

"Fine." The King agreed, backing away. And so it was decided.

* * *

Later that day, Leuwin and Kit were sitting in Niamh's quarters, listening to her explain about the Dragonstone and discussing strategy.

"Your first stop should be the Druid village of Eiderdown in the south. That's where the scroll is that will tell us how to re-forge the stone. You may also find some allies there who may assist you. If you're very lucky, Lady Katherine, you might even find someone who can teach you how to use the Druid powers you have."

"Can't you teach me?" Kit asked. "You're a Druid, too, aren't you?"

"Yes, but there is no time. Already demons are in search of the shards. You must leave quickly to find them before they do. If you can find someone to teach you as you travel, that would be better." Stood, and Leuwin and Kit followed suit. "I wish you luck on your journey."

As Kit turned to leave, Niamh stopped her. "May I speak with you in private, Lady Katherine?" Kit nodded.

"What is it?" she asked after Leuwin had left to pack provisions.

"You should not trust Leuwin. "

"It's okay. I think he's really trying to help us."

"I mean it, Lady Katherine. He may be helping us now, but that may change as soon as his goals no longer coincide with ours. I'm worried that he will turn against you and steal the shards."

"Don't worry about that," Kit assured her. "I'm sure he'd never hurt me."

"All the same, Kit, I'd like to give you one thing before you leave." Niamh gestured for Kit to sit down. "While Leuwin was in here earlier, unbeknownst to him, I put a subduing spell on him. I put it in your name, so you are the only one who can use it. All you have to do is say the word "síos" and the demon will be forced to the ground. No matter what is happening, as long as he hears you, he will have no choice."

"Síos?" Kit repeated, trying out the strange word.

"Yes. It means 'sit' in the Druid language. I figured if he acts like a dog, he deserves to be treated like one."

Kit smiled at Niamh, who only half returned it.

"Thanks for the spell, sorceress, but I'm sure I won't need it." Kit stood to leave and waved goodbye as she rushed out the door. "See you later!"

* * *

At the Black Castle, Calisto knelt in front of the Demon King's throne, waiting for his response. She had told him about the girl, Leuwin's unsealing, and the Dragonstone. Now she was dreading his reaction.

"So the crystal was shattered?" Balor laughed, surprising Calisto. "I already knew that, wench. You think I could not feel it?" Balor thought for a moment. "But you have given me some useful information. I now know what our next move should be.

"Go to the mountains in the south and tell the dragons that Leuwin is free, then proceed to the village of Eiderdown. Kill the Druids there and steal from their temple the sacred scroll." Calisto nodded and stood up, ready to leave.

"Calisto," Balor warned. "When you return, everyone in that village had better be dead. Leave none alive."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

* * *

That evening, Kit walked through the gardens, enjoying the flowers for the last time before she left in the morning. She decided to go down a path she hadn't explored before, and was surprised to find a table and chairs at the end of the path. She was even more surprised to find Leuwin sitting there. Kit considered going back the way she came.

_No, don't be stupid. _She told herself. _You're going to have to talk to him eventually, you're partners now, remember? Might as well get the awkwardness out of the way. _Determined to become his friend, Kit joined him at the table. Leuwin looked up at her, suspicious.

"Aren't you mad at me? I attacked you yesterday."

"Naw, I'm not as petty as you are." Kit grinned and offered her hand for him to shake. "My name's Kit." Leuwin stared at her hand with disgust, as though she had stuck it in the mud before offering it to him.

"If you want me to kiss it, forget it. I ain't kissing you," he snarled.

"What?!" Kit withdrew her hand. "No, it was just a handshake." Seeing his confusion, she sighed. "Right, you probably don't know about handshakes, anyway."

"I should have known you weren't Ailbhe," Leuwin crossed his arms. "You couldn't even defeat a single snake demon. Pathetic."

"Would you stop comparing me to her?" Kit tried not to lose her temper, and failed. "Look, I came over here because I wanted to get to know you before we leave tomorrow. Is it so much to ask that we have a nice conversation?"

"I'm only working with you because I have to, not because I want to be your friend!" he snapped, turning away. "I need you to find the shards for me, that's all. Why else would I drag a useless human like you around with me?"

"So what am I, a walking jewel detector?!" Kit shouted angrily, standing up.

"You said it, not me!" Leuwin growled, also standing. "Stupid wench," he said under his breath as he turned to walk away. That was the last straw.

"SÍOS!" Kit screamed. Immediately, it was as though someone had grabbed Leuwin by the front of his shirt and pulled him to the ground. He faceplanted in a bed of flowers, where he lay for a moment, stunned.

"What the heck was that, wench?!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. He turned and began stomping back towards her. "What did you-?"

"SÍOS!" _Crash._

"What the—"

"SÍOS! SÍOS! SÍOS!" Kit screamed the word over and over again until there was a Leuwin-shaped hole in the ground. Standing over him, she put her hands on her hips. "Never call me that again!" She spun on her heel and stomped off, leaving Leuwin on the ground to wonder what he had gotten himself into.

* * *

The next morning, Kit and Leuwin prepared to leave, not speaking to one another. They barely looked at each other. Finally, the time came to depart.

"Thank you for the horse, Your Majesty." Kit said gratefully. She knew that she'd need it, especially if they had to cross any mountains.

"You're welcome Lady Katherine."

"Goodbye!" Kit waved to everyone as she and Leuwin walked away, heading south. "See you soon!"

Niamh reluctantly waved back, and waited for everyone else to return to the palace. Then she turned to Muriel. "I want you to follow them. Make sure Leuwin doesn't try anything.

"Yes, teacher."

* * *

Deep in the Dragon Mountains, Calisto materialized on a cliff and waited for someone to come and greet her. Within moments of her arrival, a man had materialized a few meters away, staring at her suspiciously.

"Calisto greets Master Abban." Calisto said, curtseying respectfully to the young dragon.

"What business does Balor's servant have in these mountains?"

"I have a message for your master, little lizard." Calisto snapped, offended by his insinuation. She was _not _Balor's servant.

"What is it? I will deliver it to him."

"Why? Don't you trust me?" Calisto smiled suggestively at the young dragon, but he merely rolled his eyes and waited impatiently for her to continue. "That's fine. I wouldn't want to be the one to tell him anyway. He's not going to like it." Abban glared at her. "Tell your master: Leuwin has been freed."

"What do you mean? How is that possible?" Abban started to ask, but the demoness was already gone. _She's right about one thing, _he thought bitterly. _His Majesty is not going to be happy about this._

**A/N: Guess who we get to meet next chapter? I'm so excited for the next two characters, I could bust! I might just start writing it now...**

**Up Next: Eiderdown**


	7. Chapter 7: Eiderdown

**A/N: Guess what? I still don't own any of this.**

**_New Characters (OMGOMGOMG):  
_**_Dragonstone - Inuyasha/Holy Pearl_**  
**

_Alaric - Sesshomaru/Wu Dao  
Maeve ("mayv") - Sango/Mu Lian_

**Chapter 7: Eiderdown**

By the time Leuwin announced that it was time to make camp, Kit had gone from walking to riding the horse, and she had gone from trying to make conversation to scowling in silence. Every time she tried to have a nice, polite conversation, he shut her down. She supposed it could be because of the whole _síos _thing, but she was trying to make up for it!

"This looks like a good spot," Leuwin said, stopping the horse and starting to make camp. Kit sighed. He hadn't even looked at her once during the trip. This was going to be a long night.

By the time they had the fire started and food cooking, the sun had set and it was dark. Darker than any night Kit had ever seen. She supposed it was because there were no cities with electric lights to pollute the night sky, but it was still kind of scary. Or it was, until she looked up.

"Oh, wow!" she gasped, taking in the beautiful sight. "Look at the stars! They look so beautiful!" Leuwin hadn't said anything, so Kit kept talking. "In my world, you can almost never see stars like this. I wonder, if this is a different world, are the stars the same? And if they are in different places, are they still the same stars? Maybe this is another planet, but the same gala-"

"Do you ever shut up?" Leuwin snapped.

Kit glared at him. "Well, excuse me for being excited. I've never seen stars like this."

"They're just stars; what's the big deal?" he retorted, turning the stick on which their dinner roasted.

"Fine, you don't want to talk about stars? Then let's talk about something else." Kit thought for a moment. "What's the deal with you and Ailbhe?"

_SNAP! _Leuwin grasped the stick holding their dinner so hard that it broke. It was only his quick reflexes that kept the rabbit from falling into the fire.

"Sorry," Kit winced. "Touchy subject?"

"Just leave it alone, okay? You nearly ruined our food!"

"I said I was sorry!"

"Why don't you make yourself useful and go get some more firewood?"

Kit looked into the trees and could suddenly imagine eyes staring back at her. "By myself? In the dark?"

"What? You scared or something?"

"No!" she argued, "I just—"

"Then get going!"

Kit almost told him to sit, but knew that he still hadn't forgiven her for the last time. Instead, she opted to stomp into the woods. Yes, she would get firewood, but no, she would not be happy about it.

"Stupid Leuwin," she muttered as she stormed through the trees. "Making me go by myself. Isn't his sole purpose of coming to protect me?" Kit jumped as an owl suddenly hooted, then relaxed, chiding herself for being so scared. "If I end up dead, Leuwin, I swear I'll haunt you for the rest of you miserable life, and I will never _ever _stop talking! See how you like _that_!"

Kit heard a noise behind her and whirled around to look. She peered into the shadows, searching for movement. But there was nothing.

"That's odd," she whispered quietly. "I could have sworn I heard something—AAHHHHHHHHHH!" She turned back around and found herself face to face with a demon. With a face like a crow, the demon reminded Kit of the medieval plague doctors, a thought that only made her fear of it increase. She bolted.

The demon laughed at her as she tried to run away. It could catch her easily, but it wanted to have fun first. So he flew after her, always staying a few feet behind, laughing maniacally and enjoying the smell of her fear.

"Leuwin!" Kit screamed as she ran. Just as the demon reached out to grab her in its talons, it was yanked back. Letting out a squawk, the crow-demon was thrown to the ground. Kit turned to see Leuwin standing protectively between her and her attacker.

The crow-demon leapt to its feet. "Filthy half-breed, stop interfering with my hunt! Get out of the way; the human is mine!"

"You dare call me half-breed?" Leuwin growled, "I'll show you just what a 'half-breed' is capable of, you stupid pigeon!" The two charged at each other.

Kit watched the battle from behind a tree, not daring to get any closer and not wanting to leave Leuwin behind. She saw them fight, the crow-demon trying to maim Leuwin with its long talons; Leuwin trying to punch its head off. They moved so fast! Kit had no idea how they could dodge each other's attack when she could barely see them through the blur of motion!

Kit gasped as Leuwin was knocked back. He stumbled, as if dizzy. Seizing its chance, the crow-demon flew into the air and dove for him. But at the last moment, Leuwin jumped away. The crow-demon had no time to change direction, it slammed headfirst into the ground, knocking itself unconscious.

"Don't call me half-breed!" Leuwin kicked it, to make sure it was out cold or just because he felt like it, Kit didn't know. But she was grateful to him either way.

"Leuwin!" she called, stepping out from behind the tree. "Are you all right? Thank you for saving me." Leuwin, suddenly remembering why he had attacked the demon in the first place, looked down at her.

"Are you okay?" Kit nodded.

"Then let's go back to camp. That pigeon won't try again. Besides, our food is ready."

When they arrived back at camp, Leuwin went to the horse and removed two items from the satchels. He tossed them to Kit, who caught them instinctively. Looking down at her hands, she saw a longbow and a quiver full of arrows.

"Those belonged to Ailbhe," Leuwin explained gruffly. "Use them to protect yourself. Next time you're in danger, I might not be able to get there in time."

"Thank you," Kit said, unsure if she could actually use them. She had never fired a bow before. As they sat down to eat, Kit remembered one more thing she wanted to ask him.

"Leuwin, why did that demon call you half-breed?" Seeing his face, Kit quickly backtracked. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong? I didn't mean to offend you, and you don't have to answer if you'd rather not."

There was a long, awkward silence before Leuwin found the words he was looking for.

"A half-breed is someone who is born of both a demon and a human, a person whom no one cares about. It is a person of the lowest status, in both the earthly and heavenly realms. A person like me."

Kit didn't know what to say. It was clear that the term meant more to him than just identifying his heritage; it was the deepest insult he could receive. Kit wondered how often he was called half-breed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"It's fine. I'm used to it by now." He shrugged, trying to brush it off as unimportant, but Kit wasn't fooled.

"I actually think it's pretty cool. I'm kind of jealous."

"What? You want to be an outcast?"

"No, no." Kit shook her head. "I don't think anyone wants that. But I still think you're pretty amazing. You're an amazing fighter, and you have a kind heart. It's kind of like you have the best of both worlds."

Leuwin didn't say anything for a moment. He looked into the fire, deep in thought. "You know, you're the second person I've ever met who didn't look down on me."

"Who was the first?" Kit asked excitedly, before realizing that she probably already knew the answer. _Ailbhe. _"Sorry. I asked without thinking again." She paused. "Listen, you don't have to answer, but I'd really like to know: why do you want the Dragonstone so badly?"

"Ever since I was litte, I have always been looked down upon." Leuwin stared into the fire as he spoke. Kit wasn't sure if he even knew he was saying anything out loud. "Humans, demons, they all bullied me. So I decided I would become strong, so that no one would ever call me half-breed again. When I heard about the stone, and I found out I could wish to become a full dragon with it, I knew. I had to find it, no matter what." Leuwin snapped out of his reverie, and Kit could have sworn for a moment that his cheeks turned red. But it must have been a trick of the firelight.

"What would you wish for?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Don't you know?" Kit sighed. "I would ask to go home. I miss my dad. He's probably worried sick. Do you have a family?"

Leuwin turned away. "No. I have no one." He tossed the rabbit bones aside, his dinner eaten. "Come on, time to go to sleep. I'll take first watch."

* * *

"You called for me, brother?" Rhydian asked as he entered his brother's study. King Roald was waiting for him.

"Ah, yes Rhydian." The King approached him and put his hands on his little brother's shoulders. "I have some exciting news."

"What is it?" the prince asked as his brother walked to the desk. There, he picked up a letter with a blue wax seal.

"I have been in contact with the kingdom of Eire, discussing our new peace treaty. And they have agreed to join our lands by giving their princess to you as a bride. Is that not wonderful?"

"You cannot be serious." Rhydian exclaimed. "Why on earth would they do that?"

"They seem to want this treaty to last for a while, and thought this would be the best way to cement it." King Roald looked at his brother's face. Instead of excitement, he saw disappointment. "What's the matter? I've never seen you refuse a woman before, despite the many times you probably should have." Roald grimaced, remembering the treaty that was nearly broken by his brother's affair. "Can it be that you are in love with someone else?"

"No." Rhydian denied, though for some reason, he found himself thinking of the woman in the red dress. _Calisto._

"Then you have no reason to refuse! I'll start the preparations; the princess is already on her way."

Rhydian bowed and excused himself, heading to the gardens to think. He pulled a white feather out of his pocket; the one Calisto had dropped upon her disappearing. _Why didn't she kill me? Why didn't I kill her? And why, of all the women in the world, am I thinking about a demoness?_

"Congratulations, Your Highness." Niamh's greeting broke Rhydian's reverie. "I heard about your betrothal. You are a lucky man." Rhydian didn't respond, and Niamh's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "She is beautiful, is she not? And if I were to believe the stories the servants tell, that's really all you care about. Is there something I should know about? Something that's making you not wish to marry the princess?"

"No." Rhydian denied again, slipping the feather into his sleeve. "There is nothing. I will obey the orders of my brother the King."

* * *

Later that day, Prince Rhydian and King Roald waited in the throne room for the Eire Princess' arrival. They were late, by at least two hours. King Roald had started to pace, and Prince Rhydian had started to hope that the King of Eire had called it off.

"Majesty," Milo, the Captain of the Castle Guard, called as he rushed into the room. He knelt before the King. "We found the escort from Eire. The guards had all been drugged, and their valuables stolen. The princess is missing!"

The King frowned. If the Princess were kidnapped and hurt on Albion land, he would be to blame. "Gather the guard and find her! Quickly!"

Prince Rhydian tried not to smile, but his relief was obvious. _I don't have to marry her. Not today anyway. What a stroke of luck! _Rhydian found himself wishing that the Princess had been killed, but he told himself that, no, that demoness was not the reason.

* * *

"That demoness" was currently in the village of Eiderdown, watching the destruction as her band of demons ravaged the village, killing the Druids and setting the buildings ablaze.

"Lady Calisto!" a wolf-demon called, presenting her with a scroll. "We found it!"

"Good." She snatched the scroll from his grubby hands. "That means I can leave this disgusting place. You and your comrades stay. Make sure there are no survivors."

"Yes, mistress." The wolf-demon bowed and was about to walk away when another demon materialized in the middle of the village.

This demon was not one of Balor's; he held himself too high to be under the command of anyone else. Calisto watched him survey his surroundings, not batting an eye at the violence and destruction.

"Kill him," she ordered.

The demon hoard stopped their rampage and immediately turned on the newcomer, a man with long silver hair and golden horns. He stood, unmoving, as they racced towards him. Then at the last second, he whirled around, his cloak swishing behind him as a hug fireball flew from his fist, setting the demons ablaze. Having disposed of the distractions, he turned to face the real reason for coming.

"Was Leuwin truly released?" he asked the woman responsible for the destruction.

"King Alaric, I presume? Calisto curtsied, leering at him through her eyelashes. _He's just as handsome and heartless as I've heard. How wonderful! _Calisto smiled and disappeared without answering.

The Dragon King stared at the spot she had been moments before. _She knew what I was talking about. So it is true, then. That little mutt survived._

The sound of falling wooden boards grabbed his attention, and he turned to see a young woman, a Druid, crawling out from under the burning rubble. He watched as she made it into the open, only to faint upon seeing him standing there. _This woman may prove useful, if she survives. Her need for vengeance for her village will cause trouble for that woman and the monster she serves. _Making up his mind, Alaric picked up the fallen Druid and carried her to safety.

When Maeve woke up, she couldn't figure out where she was. The last thing she remembered was crawling out of the fire. Now she was lying under a blanket at the edge of the forest. She sat up slowly, wincing as her clothes brushed against burns and cuts.

"You're awake." Maeve turned toward the voice and saw the horned man from the village. Rage poured into her heart and she found the energy to stand, picking up a knife where it lay next to her. The man didn't seem concerned. "I thought you might feel better if you woke with a weapon. Looks as though I was right."

"You… you saved me." Maeve collapsed onto the ground, realizing he was not one of the demons who slaughtered her village.

"Yes."

"Thank you." Maeve sighed and laid her head against a tree.

"Here." Maeve opened her eyes just in time to catch the medicine pouch that he had thrown at her. "This medicine will heal your wounds in three days time." The man looked at her, his face showing no emotion. "I have saved your life; Try to do something useful with it. The demons that attacked your village were under the orders of a she-demon named Calisto. She works for the Demon King, Balor. Do with that what you will." He walked away.

"Wait!" Maeve cried out, having noticed both his horns and the golden dragon embroidered on the medicine pouch. He stopped, but did not turn to look at her. "Thank you, King Alaric. The Druid Maeve owes you."

Alaric nodded once before disappearing. Maeve was left alone.

* * *

Three days later, Maeve laid the last bunch of flowers on the last grave. She had buried her entire village. She was the only survivor.

"Father, Mother," Maeve addressed the nearest graves. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. But I promise, I will avenge you." Maeve paused, a lump forming in her throat. But she had had her fill of crying. "I have taken father's sword, and with it, I shall not rest until the demons responsible for this are destroyed. I promise, I will make you proud."

**A/N: Yay Sess n Sango are here! I really hope I captured Alaric's majestic aloofness right. And for those of you who have seen The Holy Pearl, you probably noticed ****that I removed a certain detail about Maeve's rescue. I didn't forget it; I just really hate the whole love triangle thing, and this is my story, so yeah. Meave is a strong, independent Druid who don't need no demon!**

**Up Next: The Dragon and the Druid**


	8. Chapter 8: The Dragon and the Dryad

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. Don't own. **

**A/N: It's been pointed out to me that I have a tendency to interchange the terms "Druid" and "Dryad." I'm sorry if it's been confusing. I'll try to fix it as much as I can, but here's a simple breakdown. Dryads are fairies/tree spirits that live in Avalon and are immortal. They have magic, but most do not live in the human realms. Druids, on the other hand, are a culture of people that believe in the Old Religion. Some of them have magic, but they are human, and therefore, mortal. Maeve is a Druid, Ailbhe and Niamh are Dryads. Hope that fixes any confusions!  
**

_**No new characters :(**_

**Chapter 8: The Dragon and the Dryad**

"It sure is lucky that we found this hut when we did, isn't it?" Kit asked Leuwin, not expecting an answer but choosing to make polite conversation anyway. She and Leuwin had been travelling all day and were about to make camp for the night when the sky had suddenly opened up and it started to rain. Hard. Thankfully, Leuwin had found a small abandoned house near the path and they had been able to take shelter inside, though not before they had gotten completely soaked. Kit took off her wet jacket and wrung it out as best she could before laying it out to dry. It was then that she noticed a straw doll lying on the floor of the hut a few feet away.

"Do you think the people who live here will mind us staying for the night?" she asked, picking up the doll and placing it gently on the table next to a vase of dried flowers.

"I'm pretty sure whoever did live here hasn't done so in a long time." Leuwin answered, noticing the thick layer of dust that coated everything. "I'm going outside to keep watch."

Kit shrugged and sat down on the only bed in the room, although she thought calling it a "bed" was being a bit too loose with the term. It looked to her more like a low table covered in damp straw with a potato sack pillow. _Oh well. It's not the palace, but it's better than sleeping on the ground outside again. _

After several failed attempts to go to sleep, Kit gave up and dug through her backpack for her phone. She had no way to charge it and it was running low on battery, but the small device was Kit's only way to know the date and time. _Only nine o'clock? Really? It feels like we've been here for hours. _Kit sighed. She was about to turn off the phone when she noticed the date, and instead of putting it away, she scrolled through the photo album until she found the one she was looking for: a picture of her mother.

"Hey, mum." Kit said softly. "Sorry I couldn't make it to visit you this year. I wish I could be there, but I'm literally a world away. I miss you."

"What is that?" Leuwin interrupted, having entered the hut and seen her talking to what looked like a glowing black box.

"Oh, it's a phone." Seeing Leuwin's blank expression, Kit decided to go for the simplest explanation she could manage. "It…carries photos – sorry, portraits – of people in it. See?" She held out the phone to him.

Leuwin took it from her gingerly, as if he expected it to break as soon as he touched it. The bright glow of the screen lit up his face as he stared at the screen in wonder. "I've never seen anything like it. Is it magic?"

"Sort of."

Leuwin stared at the picture for a moment before jabbing a finger at the screen. "Who's that? She looks like you."

"That's my mother."

"Why were you talking to it?" Leuwin asked, handing the phone back to her. Kit shut it off and put it away, wanting to save the last bit of battery.

"I was talking to it because, well…" Kit took a deep breath, trying not to let her sadness show. "Today is the anniversary of my mother's death. She died when I was little, and every year on this day, my dad and I would visit her grave." Kit looked down at the ground. "This is the first time I haven't been there."

Leuwin looked away awkwardly as he noticed tears starting to form in her eyes. They sat in silence, Kit struggling not to let the tears fall, and Leuwin trying his best to think of something to say.

"My mother died when I was little, too." He admitted finally, his voice barely more than a whisper. "We moved around a lot, my mother and I. We tried not to stay in one place for too long, because my mother worried about what would happen if anyone found out that I was half-dragon. We jumped from village to village, and it seemed to work: we were passed off as a nomad mother and child and no one asked too many questions." Leuwin's eyes turned dark. "That is, until my horns started growing in. My mother tried to hide them, but one day, I was playing with some other children, and my cap fell off." He half-smirked. "The other kids actually admired them, but their parents… they thought I was a demon, and wanted to have me killed. They tied me up and tried to take me away, but my mother fought them off. She told them about my heritage, about my father, in an attempt to explain, but the villagers didn't react well to that either."

Leuwin paused, his fists clenching in anger, and Kit wasn't sure she wanted him to continue with the story. She had a feeling that she didn't want to know what happened next.

"They turned against my mother instead of me, and she was burned at the stake." He buried his head in his hands. "I was still tied to a fence post. I couldn't do anything to stop them. All I could do was watch." His voice broke.

"Leuwin," Kit felt tears in her eyes. "I-"

"And that's why I have to get the Stone!" He interrupted angrily, hiding his sadness behind his fury. "I have to use it to become a full dragon. I have to use it to get stronger, so that I'll never be helpless again. I want to become stronger, so that no one will dare to mess with me. So that I can protect myself, protect the people around me. I'll be strong enough to kill anyone!"

Kit stared at him. She had never seen Leuwin this angry before. Of course, he had been careful up to that point not to let his emotions show.

"You don't have to kill people to be strong, you know." Leuwin looked at her in disbelief before the corner of his mouth turned up in his signature smirk.

"Ailbhe told me the exact same thing."

Kit stared at him. _Wow, way to change the subject._ "Were you in love with her or something? Wait, was she your _wife_?"

"What?! No, of course not!"

"Omigosh your face is red!" Kit giggled. "You're blushing!"

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"AM NOT!" Leuwiun snapped. "I wasn't in lov—I mean—" he spluttered, "she wasn't my wife!"

"I don't believe you!" Kit teased in a singsong voice. "Why else would you turn so red? And you refuse to talk about her, so…"

"Look, she wasn't my wife, okay? We're friends, that's all. Well, we were, at least."

"What happened? I know she died, but the way everyone talks about her, especially you…it has to be more than that." Kit waited for an explanation, but was met with only stone-faced silence. "Look, whether you like it or not, we're stuck together until we gather all the shards. We might as well start being honest with one another. Especially since whatever happened between you and Ailbhe is clearly the reason why you don't like me." Kit expected him to at least respond to that, but Lewuin merely turned away from her to stare out the window at the pouring rain. After a few minutes, he took a deep breath and began telling his story.

"It all started when I broke into the shrine underneath the Druid circle to steal the Dragonstone. I didn't know Ailbhe had just decided to live there to guard it; I thought the shrine would be empty, and that it would be an easy task to sneak in and escape with the stone. I was wrong…"

* * *

_Leuwin, the half-dragon prince, crept as quietly as he could across the stone floor of the shrine, his eyes focused on a crystal necklace displayed in the center of the room. The prize he had been seeking for so many years was only a few feet away. Soon, he would be able to reach out and touch it. _

_But just as he wrapped his fingers around the silver chain, he noticed someone sitting in the shadows. It was a Dryad, the Dragonstone's guardian. Leuwin was about to attack her to steal the stone when he realized that she was fast asleep. She looked so peaceful, and Leuwin decided he'd never seen anyone so beautiful in his entire life. He wouldn't kill her. Not unless he had to. He turned to leave the shrine with the Dragonstone in his fist. He had only gotten a few steps when he heard a voice behind him._

"_Who's there?"_

_Leuwin spun around to see the Dryad had awoken. Their eyes met for a moment before he spun around and darted away as fast as he could. He didn't want to kill her, but there was no way she was taking the Stone away from him!_

"And, like an idiot, I ran into the forest." Leuwin scoffed at his own foolishness.

"What do you mean?"

"I was trying to escape a _Dryad_, a _tree spirit, _and I ran into a place filled with _trees,_" Leuwin said slowly, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world."In any other situation, I would have been able to lose her. But with the trees on her side, she was able to track and chase me for three days and three nights. She kept me running in circles. The trees kept changing, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get more than a thousand paces away from the shrine.

"At first I thought it was stupid of her. I knew she could have used her magic to fight me, but instead she merely commanded the trees to keep me within the forest. I didn't realize it at the time, but she was trying to give me a chance to return the stone on my own. She was being kind. When she finally did lose patience with me, it didn't take more than a few moments for her to defeat me and take back the Dragonstone."

_As she placed the stolen crystal necklace around her own neck, Ailbhe looked down at the demon that had dared to steal from her, the foolish monster that had refused to repent and take advantage of her mercy. Now, he would pay for his transgressions with his life. She was about to deal the fatal blow when something stopped her._

"_You have human blood in you, don't you?" Ailbhe asked, though it was more of a polite statement than a question. "You are a half-breed."_

_Leuwin's eyes narrowed in anger. How dare this Dryad judge him?_

"_Yeah, so what?"_

"_Your father was Morach, the Dragon King."_

"_How do you know that?"_

_Ailbhe ignored him. "Leave this place, and never try to steal from me again." She turned to leave._

"_Wait, you're not going to kill me?"_

_Ailbhe stopped and turned back to meet his confused eyes. "Your father was my friend. He stood by my side in the fight against the Demon King. He saved my life on more than one occasion. How could I kill his son?"_

"_If you want to honor my father, then give me the Dragonstone." Leuwin retorted, trying to protect his pride by being clever and sarcastic. "I'll become a full dragon and avenge my father's death. "_

"_You think that would make you strong?" Ailbhe asked, looking at him with pity. "You are wrong. You don't have to kill people to be strong. You may think your human blood is your weakness, but it is what makes you human that makes you stronger than an immortal could ever be." With that, Ailbhe disappeared into the trees._

"Every other person I had met, immortal or human, had hated me for what I was. But Ailbhe…she felt only pity. The way she looked at me…" Leuwin sighed, turning away from Kit to stare out the window once more. "In that moment, I fell in love with her, and I decided to follow her. Unfortunately for us, the trees were still angry with me, and because I was following Ailbhe, they refused to let either of us leave the forest."

_Ailbhe sighed, stopping under a large oak tree and sitting at its base, leaning her head back against the rough bark of the trunk. She had been walking for days now, and the trees were still refusing to let her leave. Closing her eyes, Ailbhe sighed. She didn't understand why they were trapping her in the endless forest._

_Suddenly, the answer appeared from among the trees, and Ailbhe's eyes snapped open. Leuwin, the half-dragon, had been following her the entire time. She quickly closed her eyes again, pretending to be asleep. Leuwin stared at her and stepped forward. He didn't dare risk being found out, so he placed the fruit he had gathered for her on the ground near where she was resting and started to walk away. _

"_Wait!"_

_Leuwin froze, turning around to see a Dryad who was very much awake, and had been the whole time. He expected her to lash out at him, blaming him for trapping her in the woods, but instead, she just smiled._

"_Let's eat together." _

"_You don't mind that I'm a half-breed?"_

"_Why should I?" She tossed him an apple and invited him to sit and eat next to her._

"I don't know what she did, but that was the most delicious apple I ever had. "

Leuwin admitted, and Kit tried not to roll her eyes at his sudden sappiness. "From that moment on, we travelled together. We talked about anything and everything. We became friends. I even offered to stay behind, but she refused to leave the forest without me, and it wasn't long before the trees gave up and let us leave."

_When they finally emerged from the trees, Leuwin and Ailbhe found themselves in the middle of a field of flowers, a wild garden on the edge of a crystal blue lake. Ailbhe gasped in wonder and ran ahead to the shoreline. _

"_Isn't it beautiful?" she breathed, as Leuwin rushed to join her._

"_Yeah, it is." Leuwin agreed, though his gaze was not on the horizon, but on the woman next to him. "Beautiful."_

"That was the happiest day of my life, and I thought I couldn't possibly get any happier. But I was wrong. Because only a few hours later, Ailbhe said she would give up her position as sorceress of Camelot so that she could be with me, as long as I was willing to use the Dragonstone to become human so that I could be with her. We would be like any other humans, living together and growing old."

Leuwin's expression darkened suddenly.

"I never would have guessed, in a million years, that she would betray me."

_The half-dragon prince stood glaring at the King of Camelot, a platoon of dead knights at his feet. He seethed with anger, and his heart ached. There was a moment of calm as the two enemies stared each other down. Leuwin couldn't take the pain in his heart any longer, and he lunged forward with a cry of rage, only to be knocked back by familiar magic. _

"_Ailbhe." Leuwin breathed, his despair increasing as he realized that his worst fears were true. _

_The Dryad sorceress drew her bow and released it, the magic arrow imbedding itself in his shoulder and knocking him unconscious. She stared at his fallen form with tears in her eyes._

"_Capture him!" King Roald ordered, and several knights immediately went to restrain the fallen dragon._

"_Tie him with chains and put him in the shrine, where he will never be able to hurt anyone else ever again." Ailbhe commanded, her voice barely more than a whisper. The guards dragged him away._

* * *

"Everything she told me was a lie. She never thought anything more of me than a filthy half-breed. And I fell for it. Stupid!" Leuwin slammed his fist against the window-frame. "How could I not have realized? What kind of Dryad would fall in love with a stupid half-breed? I should have known that when it came down to the last moment, she would choose to save that foolish king over me. I'm such an idiot!" He hit the wall again.

"Yeah, you are an idiot!" Kit finally spoke up, causing Leuwin to stare at her, dumbfounded. "You're the biggest bloody idiot I've ever met!"

"What—"

"HE WAS THE KING, STUPID!" Kit yelled. "Of course Ailbhe would choose to save him, not because she loved him, but because he was the freaking KING!" Seeing Leuwin's startled face, Kit lowered her voice. "You said it yourself, Ailbhe didn't think you needed to kill to be strong. She didn't want you to be a killer, Leuwin. Of course she'd save King Roald from you, but only to save you from yourself."

Leuwin looked at her, his expression emotionless. _If it was all a big misunderstanding, then…_

"_**Such a touching story**_**…**" Both Kit and Leuwin jumped at the mysterious voice that interrupted them. "_**It makes me sick just to listen."**_

Kit looked around for the source of the voice, but found that she and Leuwin were the only ones that could have made the sound. Even the rain had stopped. _That's strange. It sounded so close. _Kit froze as her eyes fell upon Leuwin, whose face had turned pale. _He looks like he's afraid! But what could he possibly be afraid of?_

"Oh no." Leuwin's eyes darted around, looking for the man who had spoken. "It's him." He turned to Kit. "We can't stay here, come on!" He grabbed her hand and ran out of the hut.

"Wait, my bag!" Kit protested as he dragged her along.

"You're about to die and you're worried about a stupid bag?!" Leuwin scowled. "Come on, you idiot!"

They ran.

**A/N: Who is the mysterious voice? Send me your guesses and your reviews! I like to know that people are reading my story!**


	9. Chapter 9: The Battle in the Woods

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. If you want to know more about the original content, I believe you can fine The Holy Pearl on YouTube with subtitles, and I definitely recommend watching it.**

**THERE IS A VERY IMPORTANT A/N AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER. PLEASE READ IT.**

**Chapter 9: The Battle in the Woods**

Leuwin half-led, half-dragged Kit down the path, his hand clasping hers a little too tightly.

"Faster!" Leuwin yelled, yanking her arm sharply as he sped up.

"Who's after us?" Kit panted, her lungs and legs protesting against the sudden stress. "Why are you acting like this? Why are you so afraid?" Leuwin didn't hear her; he was too busy watching the trees as they sped past them. "HEY! Answer me! What's going on?"

Suddenly, Kit crashed into Leuwin's back as he skid to a stop, his wide eyes staring at a figure that had appeared to block their path. She fell backwards, landing on the ground with a grunt.

"Give me a little warning next time, would you?" Kit complained as she sat up. She stood and brushed herself off, then noticed the person who had caused Leuwin's abrupt stop.

The man stood with his back to the two of them. He was clad in armor, complete with a horned helmet resting atop his long silver hair. Kit would have thought he was a knight, except he had no sword. The man turned around slowly, and Kit's jaw dropped a little as she looked at his face.

"He's handsome," she remarked softly to Leuwin, who hadn't moved. "Who is he?"

"He's my older brother," he answered bitterly.

"Your brother?" Kit was surprised. I thought he said he didn't have any family. Why would he lie? Oh well. "Does that mean he is half-human, too?"

"No. He is pure dragon. We're half-siblings. Same father, different mother." Leuwin's expression was furious, but Kit didn't notice. She stepped forward, a smile on her face as she waved to the newcomer.

"Hello! My name is—"

"What are you doing? Stay back!" Leuwin snapped, grabbing her arm and pulling her behind him. "He's dangerous. You have no idea how cruel he is." Leuwin turned to his brother, though his words were directed at Kit. "Human life means nothing to him. He'll kill you without a second thought."

The armored man said nothing, and his expression retained the same cold glare it had since he arrived. Leuwin positioned himself in between Alaric and Kit before addressing his brother.

"How did you find me?"

"So you are alive," he remarked coolly, ignoring the question.

"Disappointed, big brother?"

"Quite the contrary. This way, I can kill you myself."

"Hah!" Leuwin scoffed. "I'd like to see you try!"

Again, Alaric ignored him, his eyes flicking to Kit. "Who is the woman?"

"She has nothing to do with this!" Leuwin;s eyes flashed in anger. "Just let her go!"

"Is this your lover? The Dryad you couldn't protect five years ago?" Alaric sneered. "Pathetic."

Both Kit and Leuwin blanched at his assumption.

"She not my lover!"

"I'm not his—" Kit couldn't even bring herself to say the word, her face cherry red with embarrassment. "For the last time, I'm not Ailbhe!"

"Just shut up, Kit!" Leuwin snapped at her. "Stay out of this!" He turned back to his brother. "This is between you and me! I'll fight you, but you have to leave her out of this."

"You dare challenge me, half-breed?" He turned away. "I won't fight you. The spawn of a filthy human ***** is not worth my time."

"ALARIC!" Leuwin hissed. "Insult me all you want, but don't you DARE speak ill of my mother."

"Oooh, did I hit a nerve?" Alaric met Leuwin's angry glare, his expression emotionless. Kit had had enough.

"Would you two knock it off?" she griped, stepping around Leuwin to stand between them. "Aren't you two brothers? Why would you want to hurt each other? Is that what your father would want?"

Alaric glowered at her. "My father was a dragon king, a hero. His one mistake was falling prey to human emotion, and dirtying the royal line with a filthy half-breed." He turned his icy gaze to Leuwin. "Today, I fix my father's mistake."

Before Kit knew what was happening, Leuwin had launched himself through the air at his brother, and the fight was on.

**Okay, ****VERY VERY Important**** Author's note time. I'm sorry for not updating in a long while, but I've had three very good reasons.**

**One, I've been really busy. My house flooded and I've been struggling with trying to salvage what's left of the storage room.**

**Two, I discovered that I am really bad at writing fight scenes, so I kept putting this chapter off.**

**Three, ****and this is really important****, I rewatched the series and realized that I couldn't care less about Yao Yao and Wen Tian/ Kit and Leuwin. They got their happy ending with Kagome and InuYasha in the original anime series, and I'm not going to change that. What I do care about is Yu Die &amp; Wu Dao/Rin &amp; Sesshoumaru/Renette &amp; Alaric. They deserved a happy ending, and The Holy Pearl series did not deliver. So, from this point on, I will be only posting chapters that are essential to their story. I will provide summaries of events for the other characters, but they will not be the main focus. It's probably best if you watch the Holy Pearl on YouTube (courtesy of EngSubDramas) so that you can know what's going on outside of their relationship.**

**That being said: In this chapter, Alaric gets the key to his father's tomb, Kit accidentally uses magic, and Balor instructs Calisto to find the shards before anyone else does.**


	10. Chapter 10: Maeve and the Monk

**A/N: so, last time I mentioned where you can watch the Holy Pearl on YouTube, and I discovered that those videos have, in fact, been deleted. I found another site, however, and you can watch it at _dramanice_.**

**And thanks to so many of you sending me nice reviews, you get TWO chapters this time! Keep 'em coming!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, nor do I own The Holy Pearl.**

**Chapter 10: Maeve and the Monk**

Milo, the captain of the royal guard, ran to the throne room, pausing for a few moments outside the large wooden door to compose himself before pushing them open and bowing respectfully to the men inside.

"Your Majesty, your highness" Milo addressed King Roald and Prince Rhydian, "Forgive the interruption. I have some news regarding the Princess of Eire."

"Yes, what is it? Has she been found?"

"No, your Majesty. We are still looking for her, but her escorts woke up and told us that she wasn't kidnapped. It seems the princess drugged her own guards and ran away. They are recovered now and have already left the palace to search for her."

The King contemplated this for a moment. "I am glad that she was not attacked, however, we will still face dire consequences if she is hurt or killed on Albion soil." He turned to Milo. "Captain, return to your men and continue the search. You will not rest until she is found and brought to the palace safely." Turning to the prince, King Roald grinned. "Do not worry, brother. Your bride will be found soon."

Prince Rhydian only nodded, hiding his displeasure at the King's words.

* * *

Far away, in the town of Dalry, Maeve, finally recovered from her injuries and beginning her search for Calisto, had heard rumors of a monster roaming the woods around a small village, and decided to investigate. So far however, the rumors were just that: rumors. She had found no evidence of monsters, just superstitious villagers. Concluding that there was nothing amiss in the village, she had just started leaving when she heard a terrified scream, followed by more yells as villagers raced past her.

"Get out of the way!" Maeve heard someone yell as she ran against the flow of terrified villagers. "Sorry! Move aside! I'm so sorry! Someone help!" Maeve was knocked over by a fleeing old woman, who grabbed at her dress hysterically.

"Druid, save us! It's a demon!"

"Nonsense," Maeve scoffed, brushing the frantic woman aside, "What kind of demon apologizes for its actions?"

The Druid was right; a few moments later, she saw through the fleeing crowd what was causing the disturbance: a young boy in a monk's robe and cap was astride a runaway horse, and was unable to get it under control.

Maeve didn't hesitate. Stepping out of the stallions direct path, she crouched low and leapt high into the air as the horse passed, grabbing the mane as she flipped over the horse and landing gracefully on the other side, startling the horse and applying the right pressure to bring it to a screeching halt. The rider however, was not so lucky, and went flying over the head of the horse, crashing into a fruit stand with a yelp.

"Are you all right?' Maeve asked, offering a hand to the fallen stranger after handing the reins to a nearby villager. The young man jumped to his feet, one hand flying to his cap, and the other waving in protest.

"No, no!" he protested in a high voice, before clearing his throat and recovering his composure. When he spoke again, his voice was much lower. "No, thank you. You have assisted me enough today. Thanks for that thing, with the horse." He stood up straighter and puffed out his chest. "Not that I needed your help, anyway. I would've handled it."

"Of course. You would have handled it right into the river, if I hadn't stopped you." With a curt nod, Maeve spun on her heel and stormed off. She was used to men treating her like they were better than her, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"Hey! Hey, wait!" the novice called after her, but Maeve ignored him, leaving him standing in the middle of a shattered fruit stand. She didn't notice him pick up the medicine pouch that she had dropped in the confusion.

* * *

A few minutes later, Maeve stopped at a bakery, the aroma of fresh bread making her stomach growl. She reached into her money bag to buy a loaf of bread for her journey, but realized immediately that she did not have enough money. Turning away, she was about to leave when she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Miss! Hey, miss!"

Maeve rolled her eyes before turning to face the young man she had saved from the runaway horse, who stepped forward and bowed. Maeve noticed that he did not remove his cap, as manners dictated he should. But then again, his bow was sloppy as well. She suspected he hadn't been taught manners yet at whatever abbey he hailed from. _Maybe he's not a monk at all, but a farmboy in disguise. _This seemed the more likely option.

"What do you want, boy?"

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. I was still in shock from the experience and forgot my manners. I also wish to thank you for saving me."

"You've done so, now leave me be."

"Please, at least let me buy you dinner. It's the least I can do for the woman who saved my life."

Maeve looked him over, not wanting to say yes, because she didn't know what his intentions were, and because he didn't look like he could afford food for himself, much less a person he'd just met.

"And how do you expect to pay for my dinner?"

"With this," the boy answered, pulling a necklace out of his bag. It dangled in the air between them, the delicate silver chain and blue crystal pendant sparkling in the sunlight.

"Did you steal that?" Maeve asked, aghast.

"No," he answered, sounding almost offended, as he put the necklace away.

"If you didn't steal it, then why do you have a women's necklace?"

"Why to you have a man's satchel?" he retorted, pulling the medicine pouch out from his bag. Maeve snatched it away.

"Where do you get that?"

"You dropped it while you were rescuing me. I was going to give it back." The monk crossed his arms in annoyance, before a mischievous grin lit up his face. "So, the man who gave this to you, are you in love with him?"

"No! And I don't see how it's any of your business how I came to own this satchel, anyway."

"You're right, it is none of my business. I was just trying to make conversation. After all, we might as well get to know each other before we have dinner together."

"Who said we were having dinner together?"

"I did."

"But I never said yes." Unfortunately, Maeve's stomach, as usual, had awful timing, and chose at that moment to growl loudly. The monk smirked, and Maeve groaned inwardly.

"Fine, I'll go to dinner with you." Maeve rubbed her temple, where she could feel a headache coming on. "But don't go getting any strange ideas."

**A/N: Any guesses as to the monk's identity?**


	11. Chapter 11: Mistletoe

**Chapter 11: Mistletoe**

One hour later, Maeve and the monk were enjoying the best meal either party had had in a very long time. After sating the worst of their hunger, the monk decided it was time to start a conversation.

"So," he began between bites, "are you ever going to tell me where you got that satchel?"

Maeve glared at him, but only half-heartedly. Despite her best efforts, she found herself actually becoming friends with the young man.

"Well?" he asked again. "Whose is it?"

"My savior," Maeve answered simply, shrugging like it was no big deal. "He saved my life, and gave me the satchel of medicine."

"Oh that's so romantic!" he exclaimed in a higher voice. Maeve stared at him in disbelief, and he cleared his throat, blushing. "I mean, isn't that what happens in the stories? A brave knight rescues the fair maiden, leaving her with only a token to remember him by, until they meet again."

Maeve almost choked on her food as she fought the urge to laugh. _Me? A druid? With the Dragon King? He's out of his mind. No way would I be interested in that heartless man. _But aloud she said, "You've been reading too many fairy tales."

"Sorry," the young man apologized sheepishly. "I guess I'm a bit of a romantic. I still believe in true love. That's why I'm here actually."

Maeve glared at him. "I hope you're not implying-"

"NO!" he squeaked, before composing himself. "No, no. I apologize for giving you that idea. I merely meant that, well…" he trailed off. "A few years ago, my father arranged for me to marry. I was disappointed, of course. I've always wanted to marry for love. But he was my father, so I said nothing. Then I heard rumors about his- _her _cruelty._" _he corrected himself, shuddering. "I knew then that I had to run away. So when my father sent me off for the wedding, I escaped. I hid in a monastery for a few days before stealing these clothes and coming here."

"So you're not a monk. I thought not."

"No, sorry for deceiving you."

Maeve shrugged. She had her own secrets. She couldn't blame the boy for having his own. _However… _

"You never did tell me your name," she pointed out. The false monk froze, surprised by the question. Maeve thought his reaction was rather suspicious, but she was stopped from further questioning by a disturbance outside.

Both Maeve and the young man looked towards the entrance of the tavern, from which they could hear the sounds of a woman wailing. Before Maeve even had time to consider what could be happening, her dinner partner had thrown payment for the meal in coins on the table and was rushing out the door. Maeve quickly followed.

The comrades quickly found themselves in a throng of villagers, who were all crowded around a young woman. She was kneeling next to something covered in a blanket, and she was sobbing.

"What happened?" Maeve asked gently.

A village woman nearby answered her. "Oh, it's so sad. Her father just died, and she has no money to pay for his funeral."

Before Maeve could say anything, her companion stepped forward. He knelt by the young woman's side, his face almost as sad as her own.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," he spoke quietly. "I can't make it hurt any less, but I can at least pay for his burial."

"You will?" the girl asked, hope shining through her tears. "Oh thank you, thank you sir!" she flung herself into his arms and sobbed.

He turned to Maeve. "I'm sorry to cut our farewells so short. It was a pleasure meeting you." With a small wave, he stood and helped the girl to her feet before inquiring where he could borrow a cart for the body.

* * *

A while later, the young man and the mourner were walking solemnly behind as a farmer pulled the cart with her father's body on it. When they reached the cemetery, the false monk stepped forward to assist the farmer in unloading the body. However, when he pulled the sheet aside, he gasped in horror at what lay underneath.

Instead of a freshly dead corpse, the blanket fell away to reveal bleached white bones.

"Miss," he asked shakily as the farmer retreated in fear, "how long has your father been dead?"

"About three hundred years," she answered with a smile.

"Oh, I see – wait, what?" The false monk stared at the mourner in shock as her lovely face transformed into a gaunt skeleton. Her dark hair turned white as ice, and her brown eyes turned red. The farmer ran away screaming, and the creature let out a piercing scream.

_A banshee! _The young man thought, horrified, as he covered his ears. He tried to run after the farmer, but found that he was frozen in place. He couldn't move a muscle, no matter how hard he tried. The banshee's lips pulled back in a terrifying grin, revealing two rows of long, pointed fangs.

The false monk let out a very feminine-sounding scream as the banshee leapt at him. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the inevitable pain of his flesh being torn apart. A few moments passed, and his screams died away as he felt… nothing.

He opened his eyes in surprise, looking around cautiously for the banshee. He found it, lying on the ground a few feet away with a branch of mistletoe imbedded in its chest. Next to the banshee stood the Druid who had saved him.

"It's you!" The monk cried out, leaping to his feet. "You saved me again. Thank you!" He looked at the banshee, whose corpse withered away into dust before his eyes, leaving only the cause of death behind. "Mistletoe?"

"Yes." The druid nodded, retrieving the sharpened branch from the ground. "Not many people know this, but mistletoe is actually pretty effective against minor demons and monsters."

"A banshee is a _minor_ demon? Are you kidding me? That thing was terrifying!" The man shuddered, then looked around to see if the farmer was all right. "Did you see the man who was pulling the cart?"

"Yes. He was smart; he ran away before the banshee had a chance to scream and paralyze him. Unlike you, who clearly doesn't know anything about dealing with monsters.."

"Oh," the monk blushed, sheepishly. "Well, I guess I'll do it myself then."

"Do what?" Maeve asked as he returned to the cart.

"Bury her father of course."

She looked at him incredulously. "Are you an idiot? That woman was a banshee, she doesn't have a father!"

"Still," he said quietly as grabbed a shovel he began digging. "Whoever this person was, he was human, and he deserves a proper burial."

_He's right, _Maeve realized. _Not many would be willing to stick around here after what happened. He's braver than he looks. Of course, not many people would offer to pay for a stranger's burial in the first place._

"Here, let me help."

* * *

By the time the sun was setting, the bones were buried and the monk had fashioned a simple cross from some fallen branches. He placed the cross where the headstone should have been, and scattered some flowers around the dirt.

"There. Now he can rest in peace."

The two stood silently for a moment to show their respect. The boy turned to go back to the village, but Maeve stopped him.

"I'm afraid this is where me must part ways. I'm heading on to another village." She shook his hand. "My name is Maeve, by the way."

"R-Frederick."

"It was nice to meet you Frederick." She pulled the mistletoe spear out of her bag and handed it to him. "Here. Just it case you run into more trouble."

"Thank you. I'll try not to, though."

He waved as she left down the path, waiting until she had disappeared through the trees before returning to the village for the night, lugging the farmer's cart behind him.

**A/N: Have you figured out who Frederick is, yet?**


End file.
